Woman who assaulted girlfriend in front of her child at Dart station banned from Bray
The Wicklow PeopleA woman who assaulted her partner at Bray Dart Station in an incident witnessed by her young child has avoided a custodial sentence, but is now banned from visiting Bray.
Lisa Delaney (23), of Grace Park Road, Drumcondra, Dublin, appeared at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing after she pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm.
Garda Kilbane of Bray Garda Station told the court that on August 7, 2024, at Bray Dart Station, an altercation occurred between Ms Delaney and her “on and off girlfriend”, Winnie Maughan, while the accused’s young daughter was present.
During the assault, Ms Delaney attacked the victim, causing her to suffer cuts to her hands and several facial injuries.
Counsel for the prosecution, James Kelly, informed the court that Ms Delaney also threw Ms Maughan’s phone out of the train window. She was also charged with the theft of the phone, but it was taken into consideration.
In a victim impact statement read to the court by Mr Kelly, Ms Maughan said she suffered financial losses of approximately €490, including €450 for damage caused during the incident.
She outlined the physical effects of the assault and said she has experienced nightmares since it occurred. The victim said the incident has had a significant impact on her life and described it as “difficult”.
She told the court she felt embarrassed, as the assault happened in her local town, and said she is now afraid to enter into a new relationship. She added she is still in shock and continues to experience flashbacks, which she said “really upsets me”.
The injured party also said she is now scared walking home from the Dart station.
On the night of the incident, the pair were drinking alcohol, with Ms Delaney also taking Xanax tablets. Gda Kilbane told the court the pair were in an intimate relationship at the time and became involved in a verbal altercation before the assault.
Ms Delaney has two previous convictions, one for assault, for which she was on bail at the time of the incident. Character references were handed into the court on behalf of the defendant.
Barrister for the accused, Gregory Murphy, informed the court that Ms Delaney has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has several medical conditions, with Ms Delaney also suffering from borderline personality disorder.
At the time of the assault, she was “going through poor mental health and hanging around with an anti-social peer group,” said Mr Murphy.
In mitigation, the court was told that Ms Delaney was taking medication, but stopped during pregnancy. She had been working as a cleaner after being kicked out of school. It was also noted that her father was in prison.
In her judgment, Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin noted as an aggravating factor that the accused’s young daughter was present during the incident. She also outlined the significant impact on the injured party.
The judge said the offence fell within the mid-range of assault causing harm cases and set a headline sentence of four years’ imprisonment.
Judge Ní Chúlacháin suspended the sentence in its entirety. She ordered that €2,500 be paid in compensation to Ms Maughan within three months.
The accused was also banned from Bray for a period of one year and directed to stay away from the injured party.