Cork woman jumped up on counter at garda station and kicked perspex screen

A young woman jumped up on the counter of the public office of a garda station and kicked the perspex screen until she was arrested and now she has been jailed for a total of seven months for a litany of unpredictable outbursts around Cork city.

On another occasion when the same woman - 25-year-old Chantelle Duffy of Parkview Terrace, Wellington Road, Cork - arrived at the same garda station and lay down on the floor of the public office insisting that she be put into a holding cell.

Another time, she was intoxicated and had a bloodied nose and was attempting to spit blood at those present on Grand Parade. She was shouting and screaming and acting violently.

Sergeant Dave Delea said Ms Duffy was taken to the Bridewell where she kicked members of An Garda Síochána. While in the Bridewell garda station she caused criminal damage by urinating on the cell floor and mattress and spitting blood on the walls and floor of the cell.

Judge Mary Dorgan said this latter offence was despicable and she imposed a total jail term of seven months for a whole range of offences to which she pleaded guilty.

In a further incident, on March 15 she approached a group of musicians playing on Patrick Street, screaming, shouting and swearing as she ran toward them and forcefully kicked over their collection bucket causing coins to scatter along the footpath.

Sgt Delea said the young woman struck Garda James O’Connell on the face with a bag she was carrying.

A year earlier on March 29 2023 she approached a group of people serving food to the homeless and she was abusive and attempted to assault them.

In one of the most recent incidents, on April 3 this year she rolled a beer keg into side of parked car outside the Bridewell garda station causing damage to the car.

On the same day she caused a disturbance at Penneys on Patrick Street when she pulled a mannequin to the floor for no apparent reason.

Sgt Delea also described the incident on March 30 this year when Chantelle Duffy went to the Bridewell: “She was acting erratically and fixing herself. When Garda Brendan Ryan indicated to her to come into the public office. She jumped on the counter in front of the window and began kicking the Perspex.” 

Defence solicitor Killian McCarthy said the 25-year-old was pleading guilty to all the charges against her and wanted to apologise for her actions.

Appearing at Cork District Court by video link from prison the defendant spoke up a number of times during the hearing. As the sentencing was completed she got up to leave the prison video room saying: “Alright so, take care, alright.”