AN ENNISKILLEN mother who assaulted two social workers has been jailed for seven months.
Dana Crumlish (37) of Sedan Terrace pleaded guilty to three separate sets of charges at Enniskillen Magistrates Court last Wednesday.
The first charge she admitted to was harassment of a former neighbour. On Sunday, March 13, 2016, the neighbour was in her back garden when she heard shouts from the defendant that she would “sort her out” and that she had a big knife and would use it.
Days after, Crumlish walked past the lady’s house and could be heard saying her children loved her, then referring to the fact the lady’s son had died by suicide. Crumlish, who denied the offences when interviewed by police, again shouted to the lady about her son’s suicide on another day, referring specifically to the manner in which he died and shouting that she “wouldn’t blame him.”
The court was told there had been no repeat of the behaviour since March, 2016.
The second set of charges Crumlish pleaded guilty included two counts of common assault and one of disorderly behaviour, relating to an incident at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) on January 10 this year.
Crumlish had been at a meeting with social services at the hospital, where she was requesting a small amount of financial assistance. When this was refused Crumlish became irate and began shouting foul and abusive language at the social workers. She had her hands clenched and was beginning to foam at the mouth.
The social workers didn’t feel safe and when they opened the door and asked her to leave she went right up to one of the faces and continued to roar and shout. She also tried to swing her arm at one of the social workers.
Finally, Crumlish pleaded guilty three counts of assault on police, one count of resisting police, and one charge of disorderly behaviour in relation to an incident on June 9 this year. The defendant had been with her partner on Belmore Street when police arrived. She started screaming at them and struggled with the police, refusing to stand and lashing out.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said Crumlish struck him as someone with great difficulty controlling her anger and who lashed out verbally and physically when things didn’t go her way. He said one of her biggest difficulties was that she was in breach of a suspended sentence from an offence that also occurred in a hospital setting.
Judge Broderick said he was satisfied the custody threshold had been met and sentenced her to three months, suspended for 12 months for harassment and imposed a restraining order. For the remaining offences he sentenced her to a total of seven months in prison, which includes the activation of her previously suspended sentence.
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