Wailing and crying in court amid tense scenes as three Limerick women jailed over attack on granny

THERE WAS WAILING and crying in Limerick Circuit Criminal Court as three women were being led away by prison officers for their roles in an attack on a grandmother in her bedroom.

Gardai had to intervene to keep family members away and allow prison officers to do their jobs to bring the women into custody amid the emotional and tense scenes.

On Monday, Judge Fiona O’Sullivan jailed three out of four women charged in connection with a violent incident at a house in Rathkeale on December 10, 2019.

Mother and daughter, Nora (Josie) Harty, aged 58, and Mary Ellen Daly, aged 35, both of Lisheen Park, Patrickswell, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm while in possession of knives.

Christina Casey, aged 48, of St Aidan’s Close, Brookfield, Tallaght, Dublin pleaded guilty to violent disorder while in the possession of a baseball bat. Ms Casey is a sister of Ms Harty.

Rita Johnson, aged 51, of St Ita’s Street, St Mary’s Park, Limerick city pleaded guilty to trespassing. Ms Johnson’s daughter is married to a son of Ms Harty.

Prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley, instructed by State solicitor Brendan Gill, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Sergeant Rob Sheehy in January. 

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The court heard that the victim, aged 61, has been left with “permanent disfiguring scarring” following the assault. 

Ms Buckley said on the day before the attack, the victim and her daughter had been involved in a physical altercation with Ms Daly and a woman (not before the court) outside Dunnes Stores on the Childers Road in the city. The victim told gardai she believed she struck Ms Daly first. Prior to that incident the court heard that “something happened on a party bus”.

The day after the altercation in Dunnes, the injured party was lying in her bed in her home in Rathkeale at around 1pm. “She opened her eyes and she heard shuffling. She thought it was a family member, and then she realised that there were three women coming for her. She described Ms Daly, Ms Harty and Ms Casey. She said there were at least eight women in the room and her bed was surrounded. The first thing she heard was Ms Harty saying, ‘We're not letting you go. We're cutting you up. We're killing you’.

“Ms Daly said, ‘I'm cutting you up. I'm killing you’. She described that she thought she was going to die and was 100% sure she was dead. She said Ms Harty and Ms Daly had knives in their hands and Ms Casey had a baseball bat,” said Ms Buckley, who outlined that it was the mother and daughter - Ms Harty and Ms Daly -who caused the injuries to the victim with knives.

The victim was taken to UHL for treatment of slash injuries to her cheek, thumb and index finger. She underwent a number of operations in the following months and years.

In her victim impact statement, she said: “My face and hands were destroyed, affecting how I look. After my injuries I will never be the same in my face and the pain never goes away from my hand.”

She said she has constant anxiety, gets panic attacks and is always looking over her shoulder “waiting to be attacked again”.

Liam Carroll BL, representing Ms Harty; Grace Hogan BL for Ms Daly; Joseph McMahon BL acting for Ms Casey and Johanna O’Connor BL, representing Rita Johnson, all made pleas of mitigation on behalf of their clients.

They expressed their clients' remorse and apologies with a number handing in positive reports from the Probation Service and Tipperary Rural Travellers Project.

Judge O’Sullivan said there was a lot to consider and adjourned sentencing to last  Monday, March 2.

The judge said it was a “terrifying ordeal” for the victim and she has been left with “permanent and significant scarring” on her face and hand. Judge O’Sullivan said it occurred in the victim’s bedroom which is a place one is entitled to feel secure and safe.

The judge jailed both Ms Harty and Ms Daly for three-and-a-half years with the final 12 months suspended for assault causing harm.

Ms Casey was given a two-year-and-four months prison sentence with the final 10 months suspended for violent disorder.

Ms Johnson, who pleaded guilty to trespassing, was ordered to complete 120 hours community service in lieu of six months imprisonment.