A 65-YEAR-OLD woman who set fire to a hedgerow at her ex-husband’s house and used lipstick to scrawl sectarian messages on the property told police she objected to her son’s marriage because his fiancée was a Protestant, Fermanagh Magistrates Court has heard.

Rosemary Magee, of Castletown Manor, Monea, pleaded guilty to the arson of a hedgerow and fence belonging to her ex-husband and also the criminal damage of plant pots owned by him on June 7, 2017.

While the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) classed the incident as a hate crime, Magee’s solicitor insisted that she bore “no ill will” towards the Protestant community.

The court heard that, on June 7, police were tasked to the report of an overnight fire at an address in the Derrygonnelly area.

They were informed by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) that there had been a “deliberate ignition”.

Upon arrival, officers observed ‘scorch damage’ to a fence and hedgerow at the property.

There was also a sign on a fence pillar stating: “No f***ing unionists in Tullycreevy.”

Police also observed that the message “No Prods” had been daubed with lipstick on the outside wall of the property and two external doors.

Two flower pots had been thrown from a window ledge and were damaged, the court heard.

The owner of the house told officers that a three-page letter filled with “highly abusive sectarian accusations” had been posted through the letterbox.

He added that each page had been signed by Rosemary Magee, the name of his ex-wife.

During a subsequent interview at Enniskillen police station, the defendant made a full admission to the offences.

Magee confirmed that she had set fire to the hedgerow and fence before leaving to call the NIFRS.

She also told officers that she did not want her son to marry his fiancée due to her religion.

Defending solicitor, Sean McHugh, told the court that his client, who had never been in trouble before, presented as a “rather pathetic, vulnerable individual suffering from various health issues”.

Alluding to “strife” in her family over a number of years, the solicitor said the trigger for this incident had been a conversation with her son on the day prior, during which he had informed her he was getting married and she was not being invited to the wedding.

Describing her state of mind as “fevered”, Mr. McHugh claimed that the defendant “completely lost control” and committed the offences.

He conceded that his client “cannot justify what she did”.

In mitigation, the solicitor told the court that Magee lived in a mixed community and never had any difficulty getting on with her Protestant neighbours.

He added that, in spite of everything that had been said in court, she bore “no ill will” towards the Protestant community.

District judge, Nigel Broderick, observed that he was not so sure the defendant’s feelings of anger and frustration had gone away.

The judge said he was satisfied that the offences were aggravated by hostility.

Describing Magee as a woman who clearly had a “complex medical situation”, Mr. Broderick gave her credit for her hitherto clear record, adding that the incident was, in many respects, “out of character”.

He imposed a 12-month jail term, which he then suspended for two years.