Resident of Globe House threw hot food on roommate

A GLOBE HOUSE resident who threw scalding hot food on her ex-roommate has been given a suspended jail sentence. Rugaitu Barrie, 20, from Globe House pleaded guilty to assaulting Melissa Mpofu, causing her harm at that location on October 31 last year.

Sergeant Derek Butler told Sligo District Court the defendant threw scalding food in the face of the victim. The victim had burns to her face, eyes and fingers.

The background was an argument over furniture that was moved into the room. The victim told the court she had a scar on her face, and she had to get a lotion to cover it when she was doing some acting. The victim, who is from Zimbabwe, said the defendant, who is from Sierra Leone, had been moved to another facility in Monaghan.

Defence solicitor Gerry McGovern said his client had written a letter of apology and apologised profusely. It had happened, he said, in “a split second”.

He said both parties shared a very small box room, which can led to tempers getting frayed. His client, who had a very difficult life in her native country, had been forced into marriage, the solicitor said.

Both parties had previously been friends and the defendant had been granted asylum.

The victim told the court the defendant hit her because the latter said the victim was attacking her. The victim added that some members of the defendant’s family tried to get her to go to the gardaí and say that both parties were friends. Mr McGovern told the court that the defendant had repeated her apology.

Judge Kevin Kilrane said the cramped conditions created a “pressure cooker”. The defendant had caused permanent damage to the victim, and it was a “serious injury”. The victim was very fair, had no bitterness and had common sense. She had to hide the blemish to her face with cosmetic material. The judge added the pressure the victim subsequently was under was “harassment”.

The judge said the defendant had no previous convictions and had shown “belated remorse.” The judge fined the defendant €100 and jailed her for four months suspended for two years provided she did not commit any offence whatsoever in this jurisdiction.

The defendant was to have no direct or indirect contact with the victim, either from herself or via others.