Court hears claims woman bit Garda's leg

A woman who appeared in court last week charged with assaulting two gardaí and committing public order offences has been remanded on continuing bail until the June 17 sitting of Mullingar District Court, for a probation and welfare report.Rhoda Mulligan (35), of 92 Ginnell Terrace, Mullingar, appeared at a special sitting of Mullingar District Court on Tuesday of last week, to answer charges of assaulting Gardaí Kathleen Glynn and John Walsh on June 5, 2009.Ms. Mulligan was also charged with engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour and being intoxicated outside The Lane Club, Oliver Plunkett Street, Mullingar on the same date.Giving evidence, Garda Glynn said that on the night in question, she was on mobile patrol at Oliver Plunkett Street, when she observed Ms. Mulligan "using aggressive language and behaviour" towards security personnel at The Lane Club.Garda Glynn said that she directed Ms. Mulligan to leave the facility, but she failed to do so, at which point the defendant was placed in a patrol car.The garda said that Ms. Mulligan was in a "very upset state", and pleaded with gardaí to take her home. But Garda Glynn said that she subsequently refused to leave the patrol car, and became very abusive towards Gardaí.Garda Glynn and her colleagues then conveyed Ms. Mulligan to Mullingar Garda Station, where she refused to give her details.The garda said that the defendant then became "violent and abusive", grabbing Garda Glynn's arms and pushing her against the wall. Garda Glynn said that her colleague, Garda John Walsh then made efforts to restrain Ms. Mulligan, but she bit him on the leg.It took the efforts of a number of gardaí to eventually bring the defendant into a holding cell, the garda added.The court heard that Ms. Mulligan eventually signed a bail bond, and on the afternoon of June 6, 2009, she returned to Mullingar Garda Station to make an apology.Garda Glynn's story was corroborated in court by Gardas Walsh, Peter Kelly and Peter Blessing. Robert Marren, solicitor for Ms. Mulligan, said that his client had no memory of the night in question, beyond the point where she was arrested.Taking the stand, Ms. Mulligan said that she "couldn't understand" how she got herself into the situation described by Gardaí.She told Judge Aeneas McCarthy that she remembers having just one drink, and that she had been drinking 7-Up for most of the night.Ms. Mulligan explained that at the time, she had attended the doctor to obtain medical help for stress and anxiety issues.Garda Inspector Jarlath Folan asked Ms. Mulligan why, if she had no recollection of the night's events, she called to Mullingar Garda Station the following day to tender an apology."At the time I had no recollection of what happened. I don't know what I was apologising for," she replied.Judge McCarthy said that while he accepted the evidence of the Gardaí, he would postpone the matters to seek a probation and welfare report.Ms. Mulligan, who has no previous convictions, was remanded on continuing bail until the June 17, 2010 sitting of Mullingar District Court, when the probation report will be filed.