A woman who spat in the face of a young girl waiting at a bus stop in Galway City, and called her a whore, received a five month sentence at Galway District Court.
Marie McCarty (48), or Marie Ryan as her name was also given, pleaded guilty to assault, having previously entered a plea to related public order charges.
The court heard that on October 22, 2020 McCarthy, who has an address at Tur Uisce, Doughiska, spat at a young girl waiting at a bus stop in Eyre Square.
During the attack she also called the girl a “dirty whore” and “a bitch” the court was also told.
Solicitor for the defence Michael Cunningham said that his client had no recollection of the incident, and couldn’t believe it when she read what she had done, but accepted the facts now.
She had suffered personal bereavements and become homeless Mr Cunningham said, but has turned her life around since the time of this incident.
The court heard that the young girl was traumatised by the incident, and hasn’t set foot in Eyre Square since.
Judge Mary Fahy said that a five month sentence would be appropriate for the assault on the child, but initially said that she was going to adjourn the case for a Garda Behavioural Report before finalising the sentence.
However the judge quickly changed her mind, saying that McCarty was not taking this seriously, and that she wasn’t “in any way empathetic” to the child.
She cancelled the report and imposed the five month sentence as is, saying “I’ve just had it with all the chances these people get”.
One month consecutive to this sentence was imposed for an unrelated charge of possessing a knife, which was found on her person at Murrough Garda Regional Headquarters on July 31, 2020.
Concurrent sentences and several fines were also added for multiple public order charges, including public intoxication and threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour connected to the Eyre Square incident.
Leave was granted by the court to appeal the sentence.
