Woman who moved to Macroom for 'a fresh start' roared 'obscenities and threats' at gardaí

A Cork woman who moved to Macroom because she was “trying to make a fresh start” was arrested for being drunk in a public place and for engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour when she was discovered lying on the ground in the town park, a court has heard.

Sergeant Trish O’Sullivan told Macroom District Court the woman, identified as Louise Crowley, 33, with an address at Sleaveen, Macroom, was discovered at 5.20pm in the town park sitting on the ground against a bench with an empty whiskey bottle in her hand.

When gardaí attempted to assist her, she was unable to stand up and became abusive towards them, “roaring obscenities and threats”, and causing one of the gardaí at the scene to trip during the course of her arrest.

The court heard Ms Crowley had a total of 53 previous convictions, including 21 for being drunk in public, and 15 for threatening and abusive behaviour. In mitigation, defence solicitor Killian McCarthy said his client was “in a difficult position with alcohol”, but had stayed out of trouble for almost two years prior to the incident.

Mr McCarthy said Ms Crowley “had a relapse” on this occasion and had recently moved to Macroom from Cork city in the hope of “making a fresh start”.

He said she offered a full apology to the court and was pleading guilty despite having no memory of the incident.

Judge Treasa Kelly said Ms Crowley had wasted the time of the gardaí and the court and needed to “get back on the straight and narrow”.

The judge asked the Probation Service to assess Ms Crowley for suitability to carry out a community service order with a view to sentencing her to 40 hours in lieu of 30 days in jail.

Ms Crowley was remanded on continuing bail to appear again on July 7 pending the outcome of the assessment.

• This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme