Courts / Dublin / Report
Assault victim tells judge she doesn't want to see woman who broke her eye socket jailed
Summary
Leanne Goode, 21, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Paula McCarthy on the DART on 13 July 2013, but was convicted of the attack. She also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Richard McCarthy, breaching the peace and being intoxicated in public, and was acquitted on those charges. The court found Goode's conduct "unbecoming of a lady" when she boarded the train, roared, danced and "made an absolute and utter nuisance of herself." She punched Ms McCarthy in the face, fracturing her eye socket and causing a bleed. Ms McCarthy, who was on the train with her husband Richard, who has since passed away, received treatment and now wears glasses. In her victim impact report, Ms McCarthy asked the judge not to see Goode jailed, stating she was not vindictive and was remorseful.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Assault victim tells judge she doesn't want to see woman who broke her eye socket jailed. Charges or matters: assaulting Paula McCarthy causing her harm on the northbound DART between Killiney and Dun Laoghaire DART stations on July 13, 2013; assaulting Richard McCarthy, breaching the peace and being intoxicated in public on the same date; the attack on Ms McCarthy but acquitted on all other charges. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- July 13, 2013 Incident
- 2015-11-16 Publication
Why: "I'm going to keep this hanging over her head because she has a bit to go yet before she becomes a useful member of society," he said. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: assaulting Paula McCarthy causing her harm on the northbound DART between Killiney and Dun Laoghaire DART stations on July 13, 2013; assaulting Richard McCarthy, breaching the peace and being intoxicated in public on the same date; the attack on Ms McCarthy but acquitted on all other charges (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; However, in her victim impact report she told Judge Hogan she was "not a vindictive person" and that she did not wish to see Goode jailed as long as she was remorseful. Judge Hogan praised the victim for her "very reasonable and charitable view." He said that she "displayed not a little patience to the defendant whose conduct was, to use a word from another age, unbecoming of a lady." Goode wept as Judge Hogan imposed a four year sentence which he then suspended for four years on strict conditions. "I'm going to keep this hanging over her head because she has a bit to go yet before she becomes a useful member of society," he said.
Places mentioned
Topics
Drunk And Disorderly Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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