Rose McDonagh (36), of Drumawill Gardens, Enniskillen, her son Gerard Christopher McDonagh (19), of Derrin Park, Enniskillen and her brother-in-law 22-year-old John Terrence McDonagh, of Trasna Way, Lisnaskea all appeared to face various public order offences at Enniskillen Magistrates Court.
The prosecutor outlined that on December 7, 2014 police were on mobile patrol in Townhall Street, Enniskillen when they were alerted to a disturbance outside Pat’s bar, involving a number of members of the McDonagh family.
They were involved in an engagement with the bar staff. Police noted that members of the family had been asked to leave another premises in the town earlier in the night as they were intoxicated. Members of the family, who were intoxicated outside Pat’s bar were verbally abusive to staff and were swearing. As they were not being allowed in the bar Gerard McDonagh called staff members ‘racist bastards’ and was warned by police to leave the scene.
He continued to return to the scene however and was arrested for disorderly behaviour. While being arrested he kicked out at police and had to be placed in leg restraints.
In the same incident John McDonagh was seen by police squaring up to bar staff in a fighting stance.
When told to leave by police McDonagh continued to return and began shouting and swearing at police before being arrested for disorderly behaviour.
Rose McDonagh was also involved in shouting at swearing at the bar staff and like her family members was warned and asked to leave the scene. When she continued to return and act in an aggressive manner officers arrested her for disorderly behaviour.
Once arrested she began to physically resist and had to be forcibly placed in the police car by a number of officers. She kicked one officer in the side of the face causing bruising and bit another on the right hand.
Defence solicitor Myles McManus acknowledged these were a “rather unedefying set of facts”.
He told the court the defendants had been out celebrating a birthday party and had come to the adverse attention of the door staff.
The defence said that Rose McDonagh was heavily pregnant at this time and lost the baby three days after the incident. He told the court her husband was terminally ill and only had a number of weeks to live and that she was the mother of nine children, eight of whom lived at home.
Mr McManus said that these factors along with the death of her sister recently explained her and her son’s non-engagement with probation.
The defence highlighted the limited record of the three defendants and said these were not people who ordinarily found themselves before the court.
Both Rose and Gerard McDonagh were bound over to keep the peace for the sum of £400 in relation to the disorderly behaviour charge and in relation to the assaults were given conditional discharges for a period of 12 months. Rose McDonagh was ordered to pay £200 compensation to the officers assaulted, while Gerard McDonagh was ordered to pay £100.
John McDonagh was given a six month probation order.
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere