Suspended sentence for throwing garden gnome at woman's head 

A garden gnome was thrown at a woman’s head when she responded to a call to her home at 3am and now the culprit has been given a five-month suspended sentence.

Judge Marian O’Leary imposed the sentence on Laura Malone who pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing harm to the woman who had been a friend of hers.

Defence solicitor Eddie Burke said today at Cork District Court that the accused had been going through a bad time in her life at the time. He said she had been housed through Cork Simon Community since this incident and was doing much better in her life.

34-year-old Laura Malone, previously of St Michael’s Lawn, Mahon, Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to the other woman back in August 2021.

Judge Marian O’Leary said after hearing the facts in the case previously that she presumed that the parties were known to each other, given that the defendant arrived at her home in the early hours of the morning to do this. Mr Burke said: “The lady was a close friend of hers. She has lost a very good friend as a result of this.”

Inspector Margaret Murrell said at an earlier sitting: “The injured party said that she opened the door of her home at 3am on August 12 2021. She was at home in bed when she heard a loud banging at her front door. She looked out and saw her friend and neighbour, Laura Malone, outside.

“She went to answer the front door to Ms Malone who was standing four or five feet away with her hands behind her back. She [Laura Malone] said, ‘Do you want a fight?’ Without warning she threw a pre-cast garden gnome at [the householder] striking her in the head.

“She [the householder] was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital. She had to have six stitches to her lip and an injury to her forehead.”