Mum-of-five (43) who bit, scraped and spat at gardaí after arrest jailed

Rosemary Sweeney of Carrick, Kiltimagh, County Mayo, attacked two gardaí while severely intoxicated as they tried to move her into a cell in 2022.

The 43-year-old, who has 18 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to Section 3 assaults on Garda Darren Mullahy and Garda Patrick Egan when she appeared before Castlebar Circuit Court earlier this year.

On Thursday, June 30, Garda Patrick Egan responded to a report of a female intoxicated and lying on the ground in Kiltimagh, County Mayo.

Gda Egan arrived at the scene and found Rosemary Sweeney in an intoxicated state and unable to stand up unaided.

Assisted by Garda Carrol Murray, Gda Egan arrested her and conveyed her to Claremorris Garda Station.

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After arriving at the station at 2.45pm, Gda Egan introduced her to Garda Darren Mullahy who put her details into the custody record.

Gda Egan and Gda Mullahy then attempted to place her in the station cell. While doing so, she became abusive.

Sweeney then spat at Gda Mullahy and began to kick out at both gardaí. During the altercation, she scraped Gda Mullahy’s neck and bit Gda Egan’s left index finger, causing it to bleed. She continued to kick as they attempted to remove her shoes, striking Gda Egan in his left knee in the process.

Gda Mullahy incurred bruising, an abrasion on his left shin and suffered pain in his shoulder and lower back following the assault.

Gda Egan had to receive a tetanus shot, painkillers and antibiotics as a result of being bitten on the hand and was advised to rest for four to six weeks.

The injured gardaí declined to give victim impact statements.

Wednesday’s sitting of Castlebar Circuit Court heard there were two outstanding bench warrants against Sweeney at the time of her arrest.

The court was told that the bulk of her previous offences were related to intoxication. These include eleven public order offences, three assaults and three thefts. She recorded her first conviction when she was 39 years old and has been in custody since February on foot of sentences imposed by other courts for separate offences.

Defence barrister Diarmuid Connolly, instructed by solicitor Cathy McDarby, said that his client had not seen her children – who are between 14 and 24 years old – since entering the Dóchas women’s prison earlier this year.

Mr Connolly said it was ‘appalling’ that two gardaí were assaulted, but described his client’s actions as ‘a knee-jerk reaction of someone who was frightened and intoxicated in a situation that was unfamiliar to her’.

Since entering custody, he said his client has made progress and has enjoyed her longest period of sobriety in recent years.

Mr Connolly said his client was ‘deeply remorseful’ and ‘deeply ashamed’ of her actions and said her time in custody had given her an ‘exquisite tutorial in what will happen if she resorts to drink and drugs again’.

“This is a lady that needs a helping hand more than punishment,” Mr Connolly said.

Judge Eoin Garavan said he had ‘no sympathy for her’ on account of her previous bench warrants and said she ‘didn’t learn her lesson’ after previous court appearances.

He imposed a headline sentence of two years in custody, reduce suspending 12 months of the sentence for three years.

Judge Garavan directed her to undertake an addiction course during or after her time in prison. He also ordered that she be supervised by the probation services for the first two years of her three-years suspended sentence and comply with all directions regarding her addiction.