Woman who shouted racist abuse was ‘having a bad day’

A woman who shouted to a shopkeeper that he was a ‘f ***ing paki’ told gardaí she was having a bad day.

Bray District Court recently heard that Maria Keating (42), 12 Richmond Hill, Fassaroe, came out of a clothes shop on Bray Main Street at 9.40 a.m. on October 17, 2017. She was shouting and went into a nearby shop.

The shop owner said that Keating had looked for a paper bag and when turned down she knocked the card machine on the floor and shouted the racist abuse. She apologised to the man and said she had been having a bad day.

On November 14 at 1.40 p.m., gardaí were called to Lloyds pharmacy on Castle Street, where they observed CCTV which showed the defendant taking a bottle of Actifed to the value of €13.40.

The court heard that Keating had 24 previous convictions, including seven for section four theft.

Solicitor Paddy McNiece said that on the morning of her outburst in Bray, Keating had had a row with her partner. She left the house and her bad mood went with her, and she took it out on the shopkeeper.

On November 14, she was approached by someone to whom she was indebted. They said that it would be to her advantage to take the item.

Judge David Kennedy said that he was not impressed with her shouting racist abuse at the shop owner. He ordered a probation report and adjourned the matter to September 10.