Woman rams partner’s car and wields scissors
A domestic dispute spiralled “out of control” leading to a woman repeatedly ramming her boyfriend’s car, with him jumping onto the bonnet of the moving vehicle to avoid serious injury.
Katie Kehoe, aged 21, of Coach Road in Dunmanway in Co Cork also admitted to Gardaí that in the course of the incident she rammed the other car while she had two children in her own vehicle, including a baby.
At Clonakilty District Court Ms Kehoe, a mother of one, pleaded guilty to three charges including to production of a scissors in the course of a dispute and dangerous driving. Garda Liam Galvin told Judge James McNulty that at 11pm on November 11 last he and a fellow officer received a call in relation to an alleged domestic dispute on Kilbarry Road in Dunmanway.
Garda Galvin said that on arrival at the scene they noted damage to the left hand side of one car and a flat tyre on the same vehicle, with another car parked a few feet away. The injured party told Gardaí that Ms Kehoe had rammed the side of his vehicle and that she was “going mad” and was waving around a pair of scissors at him and his mother.
Gardaí saw Ms Kehoe at the rear of the property, with Garda Galvin stating she was “roaring and shouting” and “very agitated”. She then came through the house and was “highly aggressive” and had to be restrained. The court heard she admitted to gardaí that she had rammed the other car, and was arrested.
The court heard that during subsequent Garda interview she said she had rammed the car on a number of occasions, including once when two young children were present in her vehicle, including a three-month-old baby.
Gardaí recovered CCTV and it showed the injured party at one point standing between the two cars and according to Garda Galvin, “having to jump on the defendant’s bonnet while [it was] colliding with the side of his vehicle, narrowly missing being seriously injured”.
He said the CCTV also showed Ms Kehoe chasing the man down the middle of Kilbarry Road while she was holding the scissors. The court also heard she had jumped on top of the other car, ripping off the wipers and hitting it with the scissors.
Judge McNulty said: “I get the impression she was cross with him.”
The court was told the couple have since reunited and the man had wished to withdraw his complaint relating to criminal damage. Ms Kehoe initially faced five charges, but two were withdrawn. Judge McNulty convicted her on the remaining charges on her plea of guilty.
She faces a two-year mandatory disqualification for a conviction for dangerous driving and the judge indicated that a €500 fine may also be given. Penalty has been deferred and the case adjourned until September 3.
