Woman in the Midlands bit, spat at and kicked Garda down flight of stairs when resisting arrest

A woman charged with assaulting three Gardaí while intoxicated and resisting arrest has had her case adjourned for 12 months to allow her to come up with compensation for the injured parties.

Natalia Grochowska (28), with an address in Kenagh, Co Longford, appeared at Longford Circuit Court, where evidence was given of two section three assaults and one section two assault, all on Gardaí during the course of her arrest on August 14, 2022.

Sergeant Owen Fox told the court that, at 11.30pm, Garda Morag Patterson and Garda Vincent O’Leary responded to reports of a domestic incident and, when they arrived at the scene, they were greeted by Ms Grochowska’s mother who had a bloody nose.

She told Gardaí that her daughter had assaulted her when she refused to give her a lift into Ballymahon. The accused was intoxicated on the night and had taken her mother’s phone and brought it up to her bedroom.

When Gardaí went up to the bedroom, Gda Patterson observed the phone on the bed and, when she leaned over to pick it up, Ms Grochowska kicked out and connected with Gda Patterson’s leg.

She continued to become aggressive, the court heard, biting Gda O’Leary on the hand when he tried to arrest her. She “struggled violently” and spat at Gardaí, with spit landing on Gda O’Leary’s face, Gda Fox told the court.

A call for assistance was made and Garda Claire Hardman arrived at the scene. When Gardaí were bringing the accused down stairs, Gda Patterson went first, with Gda O’Leary taking up the rear. Ms Grochowska was still resisting arrest and violently kicked out at Gda Patterson, causing her to fall down the stairs and hit her head and her back.

When Gda Patterson managed to get up again, the accused had managed to wedge her legs into the bannister of the stairs, Sgt Fox explained, and continued to resist arrest. The court heard that she “bit down on Gda Patterson’s hair so hard that she pulled her ponytail out”.

When Gardaí got her downstairs, they had to restrain her on the floor, where she continued to spit and attempted to bite Gda Patterson on the ankles.

Ms Grochowska was taken to Longford Garda Station where CCTV footage showed her continuing to resist arrest and, while being escorted to the cell area, she slapped Garda Daryl Gilmore on the side of the head and kicked him on the leg.

She was released the following morning and, when interviewed by Sgt Fox on a later date, she said there were certain parts of the night she could remember and certain parts she couldn’t.

When she watched the CCTV from within the Garda station, she became emotional, Sgt Fox explained.

Judge Keenan Johnson heard that Ms Grochowska was a mature student at NUI Galway, studying the effects of drugs on the mind. She has recently completed her thesis and is a “talented” and intelligent individual, engrossed in her studies, according to defence barrister, Mr Niall Flynn.

The court also heard that the accused has a “turbulent” relationship with her mother and that “the demon alcohol” was a factor in her behaviour on the night in question.

When addressing the court, Ms Grochowska said, “I can’t even articulate how embarrassed I am. I will never forgive myself for what I heard I had done. I’m really sorry that this has occurred.”

She proceeded to read out letters of apology to each of the three Gardaí she had assaulted, expressing her “deepest apologies”.

“Due to my extremely intoxicated state, I have little recollection of the night,” she said, adding that she carries ”extreme shame” for her behaviour and “I wish it had not occurred”.

“I cannot articulate how sorry I am to have caused you harm,” she said.

Judge Johnson stressed to the accused that “if you weren’t drinking, you wouldn’t be in court today”. He said that the Gardaí had been “savagely assaulted” on the night in question when Ms Grochowska was in “a violent and agitated state”.

“Because of her level of intoxication, she was in an out-of-control state,” he said.

He proceeded to adjourn the matter to November 5, 2024, when a probation report is to be prepared and Ms Grochowska is to have a “significant sum of compensation” available for the Gardaí.

If that compensation is available in court, Ms Grochowska will receive the benefit of the Probation Act.