Local woman escapes assault conviction

A 22-year-old Galway woman has escaped conviction for assaulting a taxi driver and a local garda following a drunken night out.

Lisa Curran, with an address at Trabane, Lettermore, did not contest the charge at Galway District Court this morning (Friday), with her solicitor telling the court she was “embarrassed and ashamed” of her actions.

The court heard that Ms Curran, who has no previous convictions, was celebrating her graduation from college in the city centre. After engaging a taxi to take her to Forster Street, she refused to pay the driver and started hitting him before taking off her shoe and using it to continue striking the driver, causing scratches and abrasions to his face.

After being apprehended by gardaí, Ms Curran was brought to Mill Street Garda Station, where she further assaulted a female garda by hitting her in the side of the face.

Ms Curran’s solicitor said her client had been drinking on the night and questioned whether her drink had been spiked, as she did not have a full recollection of the night’s events. She said the tearful 22-year-old was “extremely apologetic” for her actions and had co-operated fully with the gardaí following the incident.

References from Ms Curran’s college and evidence of charity work were then presented to Judge John Lindsay, with an appeal that Ms Curran be spared a conviction that could go against her in her future career. It was also revealed that Ms Curran had saved a sum of €1,000 from her job working in a supermarket to offer as a gesture of compensation to the parties involved.

Judge Lindsay ruled that the defendant should pay €400 to each of the injured parties, as well as a further €200 to the local branch of the RNLI, and did not pursue a conviction in the case.