Offaly woman arrested by gardai after visiting mother in hospital

A WOMAN walked free from Tullamore District Court after lodging an appeal against a two-month jail sentence.

Judge Susan Fay imposed the sentence after convicting Celina Hehir (40), MacRegol Pairc, Birr, of public drunkenness and a breach of the peace at Arden Road, Tullamore on April 25 last year.

Sergeant Brendan Kearns told the court the charges arose from gardai stopping a car on the Arden Road in Tullamore as a result of a report that a female had been abusive at Tullamore Hospital.

The woman was intoxicated and abusive to gardai and was arrested because they concluded she was a danger to herself.

Sergeant Kearns said Ms Hehir had 21 previous convictions, including six for assault, 11 for road traffic offences and two for public order offences.

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Judge Fay was also told that the offences before the court would result in the triggering of a suspended sentence which had been imposed at Tullamore Circuit Court in October 2024. There could also be three other sentences triggered, added Sergeant Kearns.

Patrick Martin, solicitor for Ms Hehir, said his client had been visiting her mother in the hospital on the date of the offences and her mother subsequently passed away. The defendant was a passenger in the car.

Mr Martin said a sister of Ms Hehir was now terminally ill with cancer and his client needed the assistance of the Probation Service.

A probation report was before the court, he added, asking Judge Fay to be as lenient as possible to the accused, a single mother who previously had issues with a former partner.

Judge Fay said Ms Hehir had been given “every chance” and didn't engage with the Probation Service and the report before the court “didn't read well”.

The defendant had missed appointments and it didn't appear she was willing to engage.

Mr Martin said that was partly because her sister was terminally ill.

Judge Fay imposed a two-month sentence for engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and took the charge of intoxication in a public place into consideration.

She remanded Ms Hehir on her own bail to appear before the District Court again on February 11 for re-entry of the matters related to the suspended sentences.

The judge also fixed recognisances for an appeal and when they were taken up by Ms Hehir she left the court.