Woman who called Offaly gardai dopes is sentenced to three months

A woman who verbally abused gardai when they intervened as she was stumbling off a path, appeared by video link from the Dochas women's prison at this week's Tullamore district court.

Before the court was Leanne Dooley, Kilbride Street, Tullamore, who pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace on January 4, 2022.

Outlining the facts of the case Sgt James O'Sullivan said at 7.50pm at Kilbride Street, Tullamore, Ms Dooley had been highly intoxicated and stumbled out in front of traffic. When gardai intervened she said ''they were all f...ing dopes.'' She was arrested.

Ms Dooley had 48 previous convictions for theft and public order and on April 28, 2021 she had received a suspended sentence.

Her solicitor Donal Farrelly said he had spoken to her father and he was going to try to get her medical card restored and get her back on her medications.

Donal Farrelly suggested to Ms Dooley that she was more stable now, Ms Dooley replied ''I kind of am and not''.

Mr Farrelly said her father would bring her home but she said she could walk home herself and added that she needed a B&B and some sort of stability. I need to be left alone, she said.

She asked Judge Staines to do her a ''massive favour,'' but Judge Staines was unable to understand what she said due to a distortion in sound on the video link.

Judge Staines told Ms Dooley she was in breach of a suspended sentence. She said she would impose a sentence of three months in the Dochas prison. She told her she would spend another few weeks in prison. Ms Dooley continued to talk but Judge Staines said she had other cases to hear. She fixed recognisance on her own bond of €100 if she wished to appeal the sentence.