Neighbours 8am row over husband's suspected infidelity led to fight with broken glass

Isabel Hayes

Two neighbours who got into a row over a husband's suspected infidelity, leading to one woman slashing the other with a piece of glass, behaved in a “highly immature manner”, a judge has said.

Julie Pigott and Catriona O'Keefe, both aged 42, got into a physical fight at 8 o'clock in the morning in May last year after Pigott's husband went next door to have a cigarette with O'Keefe, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Tuesday.

When Pigott knocked on O'Keefe's door and demanded that her husband come out, O'Keefe told her to “f**k off” and pushed her, leading to a physical altercation, Garda Brendan Carmody told the women's sentence hearing.

Pigott left the scene briefly before returning to the scene armed with a piece of broken glass, which she used to slash O'Keefe's wrist and arm. Gardaí were called and both women were taken to Tallaght Hospital in separate ambulances.

Peace restored

“Peace” has since been restored between both parties, who shook hands outside court and who now wish each other well, Gda Carmody said.

Pigott, of MacUilliam Parade, Fortunestown Lane, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm and one count of producing a shard of glass in the course of a fight at MacUilliam Estate, Tallaght on May 1st, 2021. She has one previous public order conviction.

O'Keefe, of MacUilliam Mews, Fortunestown Lane, Tallaght pleaded guilty to one count of assault, which the court heard involved pushing Pigott initially. She has 10 previous convictions including criminal damage, assault and public order offences.

Sentencing the women, Judge Pauline Codd said they behaved in a “highly immature manner” which was “misdirected”.

“If Ms Pigott had an issue with her husband, that should have been taken up with him,” the judge said.

She gave Pigott a three-year sentence which she suspended in full on a number of conditions. She gave O'Keefe a suspended four-month sentence for her lesser role in the incident.

The judge was shown photographs of O'Keefe's injuries sustained in the attack. She has made a full recovery.

Keith Spencer BL, defending Pigott, said his client was extremely remorseful for the assault. He said it arose out of a “suspected infidelity”, that Pigott and her now-ex husband were going through a difficult time.

Pigott had been drinking alcohol the night before and was still affected by it that morning when she assaulted O'Keefe, the court heard.

She has two young adult daughters and works as a cleaner to maintain them in university, Mr Spencer said. She has no history of drug or alcohol addiction.

O'Keefe is “embarrassed and remorseful” for her role in the assault, her defence counsel said. She accepts she shouldn't have pushed Pigott in the first instance. She bears no ill-will for the injuries she sustained, the court heard.