A 36-year-old woman who lashed out at a police officer after she was asked to leave a takeaway as a result of a separate assault, “wanted her food”.
Therese Josephine Fox, Royal Oak Road, Lisnaskea appeared at Fermanagh Magistrates Court on Monday charged with assault on a police officer and disorderly behaviour.
Remorseful for her actions, she presented the court with a handwritten letter of apology to the police officers involved.
The court heard that at around 1.25am on March 18 this year, customers at the Bombay Spiced takeaway on Main Street in Lisnaskea were asked to leave after a separate assault had taken place.
But Fox objected to this because she “wanted her food”, according to a Public Prosecution Service (PPS) representative.
She began screaming and shouting at police officers and punched on of them, connecting with the side of his face and his nose.
There were a lot of people in the area at the time, and although Fox was asked to “calm down” she refused.
When police spoke to her at a later date, she said she didn’t remember anything about the incident. Her solicitor, Myles McManus said Fox was an unemployed mother of one, relying on disability living allowance.
Vouching for her personally he said she assisted members of her family with childcare.
“She was thoroughly devastated when her behaviour was explained to her,” he told the court.
“She has no recollection.”
Mr. McManus said Fox had written the letter of apology entirely of her own volition.
“She is extremely sorry,” he added, “And she is not a lady who is ever going to come to the attention of the court again.”
District Judge Michael Ranaghan was taken by her written apology.
“I have seen some apology letters but that does strike me as genuine,” he remarked.
Fix was fined £225 and ordered to pay the offenders levy of £15.