Bray woman to face trial over alleged assault

ACCUSED DENIES ATTACKING ELDERLY LADY IN HER HOME

A Bray woman who has pleaded not guilty to assaulting an elderly woman in her home will face trial in July.

Sarah Doran (65), 39 Kilbride Grove, Bray, appeared at Wicklow Circuit Court sitting in Bray last Friday.

She was arraigned on charges of assault causing harm and causing serious harm, alleged to have occurred at Violet Hill in Bray on December 28, 2015. She answered ‘not guilty’ to both charges in court on Friday.

The court heard that Ms Doran had previously entered a plea of guilty to a charge of false imprisonment.

The alleged injured party, Mrs Marie Gallan, is now aged 83 and was present in court with her son.

State prosecutor James Kelly told Judge Michael O’Shea that Mrs Gallan was known to the defendant.

It is alleged that the defendant came to the woman’s home and attacked her, Mr Kelly told the judge.

He told the judge that the date of birth of the alleged in- jured party is December, 1934, and, given her age, asked Judge O’Shea if the case could take priority in the July sittings of Wicklow Circuit Court. He said that the case could take possibly five days.

Judge O’Shea adjourned the case to July 11 for trial.

‘Obviously it is in the interest of all concerned to prioritise this case,’ said Judge O’Shea.

The court heard that the defendant currently signs on twice weekly at Bray Garda Station as a condition of bail. A request was made to reduce that to one day a week but the State objected.

‘ Twice a week is not that onerous,’ said Judge O’Shea. ‘I will not reduce that, particularly given the State’s objection.’