No jail for Cork woman who hit man she met at AA meeting on the head with can of coke

Sgt Kelleher said the injured party initially lent her some money but that he then stopped giving her money.

Sgt Kelleher said 26-year-old Michaela Mulcahy formerly of Gateway House, Leitrim Street, Cork, and later of Commons Inn, Commons Road, Cork, used to meet the injured party for coffee but that when he refused to give her any more money or cigarettes she threw a cup of coffee over the man.

Later, she came to his front door at Coburg Street and started banging on the door calling him names. Michaela Mulcahy and another person with her forced their way into his home.

“He was struck in the back of the head with a can of coke,” Sgt Kelleher said. Michaela Mulcahy pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening behaviour at Coburg Street, assaulting a man and trespassing at his property.

On October 15, 2020, she and another woman stole two bottles of wine from Circle K garage on Commons Road.

Hours later she turned up at the Mercy Hospital where she was highly intoxicated on drink and drugs and became aggressive to staff and to gardaí assisting them. Sgt Kelleher said the accused had to be restrained by staff at the A&E unit of the hospital.

Around this time she also carried out a shoplifting offence at Dealz on Grand Parade.

Sentencing

Judge Olann Kelleher said that the offences – particularly the assault on the man at Coburg Street and the disturbance at the hospital – were very bad but he noted from the probation report “she has come a long way”. 

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, agreed saying: “Progress is very good. Her long-term plan is to gain admission to Coolmine. She is no longer engaging with people she was previously engaging with.” 

Judge Kelleher said: “The report makes difficult reading but she has come an awfully long way.” The judge imposed a number of two-month jail terms but suspended all of them at Cork District Court.