Prison warning for mother who fails to appear in court

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Wednesday, 11 July 2007

A woman who has failed to appear before various courts charged with being drunk in public appeared in custody before Galway District Court this week where she was warned she could receive a prison sentence for such an offence if it ever happens again.

Judge Mary Fahy warned mother of one, Tracy Redmond (30), who resides at a hostel in Cork city, that she could be sent to prison after the accused pleaded guilty to being drunk in public and a danger to herself and others in the grounds of UCHG on 31 May last. Redmond also pleaded guilty to failing to appear before the court on a subsequent date to answer the charge. A bench warrant was issued for her arrest in June and that warrant was executed in Cork last Friday and Redmond taken into custody.

Inspector Pat McHugh said Redmond was extremely intoxicated and had to be arrested for her own safety on the date in question. He said she had 13 previous convictions, quite a few of which were for not appearing in court for Public Order offences.

Defence solicitor, Valerie Corcoran said her client was a chronic alcoholic whose previous convictions all stem from her addiction. She said Redmond had been in court in May and had been sober for a while at that stage but she relapsed and failed to appear before the court in June. She had been staying in Osterley Lodge in Salthill but staff there asked her to leave when she "fell off the wagon" and she had moved to the hostel in Cork after that, Ms Corcoran explained.

The solicitor said her client had been in and out of rehab. for her addiction in recent years and her sister was now minding her child for her.

Judge Mary Fahy told Redmond she needed to undergo an intense residential treatment programme, before fining her €100 for being drunk in the grounds of the hospital and €300 for failing to appear before the court in Judge. "You could get a long period in custody for failing to appear in court again," the judge warned Redmond.

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