Enniskillen courthouse
A GRANDMOTHER who drunkenly terrorised her neighbours for three months has been given a one month custodial sentence at Enniskillen Magistrates Court.
Caroline Irwin, 46, with an address in Lisnaskea, left her neighbours living in fear for months because her addiction to alcohol drove her to numerous incidents of disorderly behaviour.
Irwin pleaded guilty to the charge of disorderly behaviour when she appeared in the dock at Enniskillen Magistrates Court.
Police officers were called to her home on February 28 of this year following numerous complaints over a period of three months.
Police searches of her house uncovered a small amount of cannabis and blue tablets – though it was not confirmed in court what these were.
Irwin’s defence barrister Heather Phillips claimed that her client has a vulnerable nature.
“She has a problem with drink. She has moments of sobriety but goes through blips and then gets herself involved in trouble,” she said.
“It’s usually directed at no-one and her vulnerable nature leads her to this.
“Her offending started from January 2011 and everything has followed since then. She enjoys the company of her grandchildren and want to put this behind her. She was once happily married.
“She will move to Omagh where she wants to live, she wants to move away from where the offences were committed and move on from this.”
It also emerged during court that Irwin is currently being kept in custody after she breached her bail conditions related to another matter.
District Judge Nigel Broderick described the incident as serious saying: “Your previous convictions occurred in a short period of time.
“You have made numerous appearances in this court, primarily for disorderly behaviour offences caused by your addiction to alcohol. The threshold has been crossed by this matter.”
She was sentenced to one month in custody as well as given a £15 offender levy.
Two further charges of harassment and possession of a class B drug were withdrawn by the public prosecution service.
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