'A rabid attack': Cork woman lashed out at garda and spat in her face
Inspector Kay O’Donoghue told the court gardaí were called to an incident at a bus stop in Kinsale on November 22, 2025. File picture: Dan Linehan
A Cork woman who was arrested for being intoxicated in a public place lashed out at the arresting garda and spat in her face in what the judge described as “a rabid attack”, Bandon District Court has heard.
Inspector Kay O’Donoghue told the court gardaí were called to an incident at a bus stop in Kinsale on November 22, 2025, at 2.45pm. When the patrol car arrived at the scene, they discovered Rosemarie Howick, aged 48, of Castle View, Kilbrittain, Co Cork, acting in an aggressive and abusive manner.
Garda Joanne Desmond said Howick was at the bus stop drinking a can of beer, slurring her words, and was unsteady on her feet. She was behaving aggressively, “snarling”, and making “biting gestures” at some nearby female tourists. There were also children present in the area.
Garda Desmond said Howick was arrested at 3pm for her own safety and the safety of others due to her intoxicated state and placed in the back of the patrol car.
En route to Bandon Garda Station, Howick continued to behave aggressively, shouting obscenities and telling gardaí: “I will skin you alive, you whores,” and that “everyone wants you dead”.
Howick then opened the rear window and began “kicking out” at the door. Garda Desmond had to restrain Howick and was punched twice in the right leg as she did so.
When the car arrived at Bandon Garda Station, Howick continued to behave violently and aggressively and was taken directly to a cell, where a search was carried out and her jewellery was removed.
In the cell, Howick called Garda Desmond a whore, “gathered spit in her mouth”, and then spat directly into Garda Desmond’s face as she tried to remove an earring, the court heard. Some of the saliva went into Garda Desmond’s mouth and she subsequently required tetanus and hepatitis B vaccinations.
Plunkett Taaffe, defending, said his client, who was charged with two counts of assault, one count of threatening and abusive behaviour, and one count of public intoxication, was contesting the charges.
He said Howick had opened the car window to get some fresh air and was a person of “small stature” who was pinned down in a confined space in the back of the car.
He said Howick was reacting to the restraint and although it was requested, no CCTV footage from the Garda station was made available. Insp O’Donoghue said the CCTV footage from the station was no longer available as it had been wiped, as was standard practice due to the length of time that had elapsed before court proceedings.
Mr Taaffe said Howick suffered from bipolar disorder and did not recall the spitting incident. The court was told Howick refused to accept her diagnosis and was “her own worst enemy”, had issues with anger, and was “easily triggered”.
During the hearing, Howick had to be removed from the court and escorted to a prison van outside due to her disruptive behaviour.
She told the court: “I’m sick of this”, adding “you may as well give me the death penalty”.
The court heard Howick had 44 previous convictions including 12 for threatening and abusive behaviour, nine for public intoxication, and two for assault.
Judge Monica Leech said she could not see any mitigating factors. She said the aggravating factors were the nature of the offence and the fact it was a “direct attack on a member of An Garda Síochána” who was the victim of a “rabid attack by a woman who was clearly out of control”.
For the spitting assault, Howick was sentenced to two months in prison, and for threatening and abusive behaviour, she was sentenced to seven days, to run concurrently. The other two charges were taken into consideration. Recognisance for appeal was fixed in her own bond of €200.
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