Woman admits taking dump in garda van – but she wasn’t in court for that!
'We will try to use more decorous language,' her solicitor said
“I HAD a shit in the Paddy Wagon,” said a defendant when asked what she remembered about why she was appearing in Naas District Court last week.
Unfortunately for Charlene McCaughey (35), of no fixed abode, Newbridge, she was remembering the wrong offence as she appeared by videolink from Dochas Women’s Prison, where she is serving a ten-month sentence handed down just before Christmas for an undisclosed, unrelated offence.
Sergeant Mary Meade for the state explained how Ms McCaughey was found stumbling around Dara Park in Newbridge on 20 December, and had to be arrested for her own safety.
“Five days before Christmas?” clarified Judge Desmond Zaidan.
“She was basically out of it,” said Sgt Meade of the defendant, who is only formally charged with a section 4 public order offence – being intoxicated in public – at this stage.
“What can you remember, Charlene?” asked the judge.
“I had a shit in the Paddy Wagon,” she said, quite unselfconsciously.
“I heard ‘shit’!” said a mildly incredulous judge.
“Em, em, she did a poo in the garda van,” her solicitor Brian Larkin delicately translated. “We will try to use more decorous language,” he added.
“And this your first case of the year, Mr Larkin! Oh, you’ll remember this one!” smiled the judge as he gave Ms McCaughey the benefit of the on the public order charge.
It transpired that Ms McCaughey has yet to face the charge of criminal damage to garda property, which is yet to be listed for a future date, and seemingly mistook which charge she was actually facing in Naas District Court this week.
