A woman charged with public order offences was reminded to turn off her phone if she comes back before the court again, after her mobile briefly disturbed proceedings.
Sharon Allen (61) of 9 Gracedieu Heights, Gracedieu, Waterford, appeared before Judge Michael Connellan at Waterford District Court this month. She pleaded guilty to a charge of abusive behaviour in public, contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994. A separate charge of being intoxicated in public, contrary to Section 4 of the same act, was struck out.
Inspector Joe O’Neill told the court that on 1 March 2025, Gardaí received a report about a woman causing a ‘nuisance’ at a housing estate in Waterford city. The woman, identified as the accused, was knocking on doors, as well as shouting and stumbling, Insp. O’Neill said.
He added that after Gardaí arrived at the scene, the accused continued to shout, and said “you b*tch” to one Garda member. She was subsequently arrested.
A mobile phone previously went off earlier in the court sitting, and as the accused’s case was called, Judge Connellan asked if it was hers. Acting for the accused, solicitor Hilary Delahunty said his client wished to apologise for the disruption, to which the judge replied: “She should have apologised at the time.”
Mr. Delahunty said his client is in a “delicate situation” with her mental health, adding that he would not go into further detail due to the presence of the media.
Judge Connellan handed the accused a €100 fine, and told Mr. Delahunty to make sure the accused does not come before the court again. However, he added that if she does, she should “turn off her phone.”
Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
Robyn Power
