Woman (57) vandalised a security camera at Dundalk Garda Station

A woman who vandalised a camera on a security barrier at Dundalk Garda Station was fined at Dundalk district court over the incident and a number of separate public order offences, including one where she racially abused security staff.

Mary Burgess (57) with an address at College Manor, Hoey’s Lane, Dundalk was before the court charged with causing criminal damage at the Garda Station on May 20th last year and with being intoxicated in a public place at College Manor and Tesco Extra on May 4th and 25th.

The court heard the defendant went to the security barrier at the Ardee Road entrance to Dundalk Garda Station around 10pm and broke the camera away from its mount causing €500 worth of damage.

Five days earlier she was highly intoxicated and abusive at Tesco Extra and was being restrained when gardai arrived on the scene.

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The defendant, who had 40 previous convictions including 21 for theft, was given a suspended sentence

The court was told Ms. Burgess continued to shout racial abuse at security staff and was also abusing members of the public.
Garda who responded to a call to attend College Manor spoke to the defendant who told she did not ring them and repeatedly shouted at them “Get out. Get out” in addition to “shouting profanities”. 

The court heard that neighbours were present at the time of the public order incident.

The defendant had 72 previous convictions including 46 for public order offences but has not come to attention since then.

Having heard that compensation had been paid to cover the damage to the security camera Judge Stephanie Coggans imposed a €100 fine for the criminal damage offence and imposed a further fine of €200 for the Tesco Extra public order offence but said she was taking everything else into consideration.