Woman asked to 'get out of the car to fight' and was followed from Ballincollig to Blarney

A woman who went to a McDonald’s Drive-Thru with her family on St Stephen’s Day claimed that another woman threatened to fight her and later followed her from Ballincollig to Blarney.

Chantelle McCarthy, 27, with an address at Ballyhandle, Crossbarry, County Cork, had no previous convictions and she denied the charge of engaging in threatening behaviour on December 26 2020.

However, after hearing evidence from the accused and from the complainant, Megan Crowley, at Cork District Court in relation to the disputed evidence, Judge Marian O’Leary found Chantelle McCarthy guilty of engaging in threatening behaviour.

The judge said she found Ms Crowley more credible. She convicted and fined Ms McCarthy €300.

Ms Crowley said she and her partner and children brought their takeaway food to the carpark of a nearby supermarket when she was approached by Chantelle McCarthy who came over to the passenger window.

“She asked me to get out [of] the car to fight her. My partner said, ‘She doesn’t want to fight no one’,” Ms Crowley said.

The witness said the defendant then said, “I will follow you to Hollyhill.” Ms Crowley said the defendant drove after them, “beeping and revving.” Michael Quinlan solicitor said these allegations were denied by the defendant.

The defendant said she was related to Ms Crowley’s partner and that he called her over to the supermarket carpark to settle differences. The defendant said it was her relative who was trying to get her and his partner to fight. Ms Crowley said that was a lie.

The defendant said she did not follow them to Blarney but happened to drive behind them because she was going to the Tung Sing to get Chinese food.

“I was behind them but I wasn’t actually following them,” the defendant said.