A FORTY-year-old Cork woman wept in court when she was arrested and charged with putting her elderly parents in fear.

Garda Gerald Murray brought the woman before an in camera hearing of Cork District Court late on Monday afternoon.

Judge Marian O’Leary ordered that the court would be cleared to deal with the brief hearing in the absence of others.

The parties cannot be identified as it relates to an alleged breach of the Domestic Violence Act which must be heard in private.

The allegation in the single charge is that the accused breached a safety order by putting her parents in fear.

Garda Gerald Murray stated that the defendant’s mother is 78 years of age and her father is 84.

It was alleged that she was intoxicated and shouting at her parents and that the gardaí had to be called. The charge states that they were put in fear, putting the defendant in breach of the order.

Garda Murray said there was no objection to the accused being remanded on bail.

“I believe the problem is alcohol. I believe that it is a verbal situation and that there is no physical element,” he said.

However, he told Judge O’Leary that an issue in the case was that the accused was living with her parents.

The defendant was represented in court by barrister Andrea Gilligan, who said the accused would enter the bail bond set by the judge which requires her to abstain from alcohol.

The case was adjourned for two months.

The defendant sobbed in court during the brief hearing.