Mother of the groom 'lobbed missiles' at police during wedding fracas
Published 8 Jan 2013 11:40
The 35-year-old mother of the groom was under "siege" from gate-crashers at the wedding reception when she "lobbed missiles" at police, Fermanagh Court has heard.
Mary Reilly was fined £400 after she admitted assaulting a police officer and being disorderly.
A prosecutor told the court that just before midnight on December 7, police were called to a disturbance a the Three Ways Inn on the Sligo Road in Enniskillen. They saw Reilly standing near a side door of the pub shouting abuse at members of the public. Officers spoke to her about her behaviour but she ran towards a woman, grabbing her by the hair and striking her once to the side of the head. The police arrested Reilly for being disorderly but had to duck out of the way when she threw two pint glasses at them.
Defence solicitor Donal Fee said a wedding was taking place and it turned into a major incident after a large number of uninvited guests arrived and forced their way into the reception.
"She was taking refuge from the siege by these gate-crashers," explained Mr. Fee. "Thankfully nobody was injured as a result of her actions."
He said the mother of five, two of whose children are severely disabled, had been seriously assaulting during the disturbance and made a complaint to police as a result of which a third party had been charged with a criminal offence.
"She was trying to defend herself," said Mr. Fee, adding that Reilly's only previous convictions were for motoring offences in 1999.
District Judge John Meehan said Reilly, from Cullfarran, Johnstown, Navan, had "twice lobbed missiles at police".
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 08 Jan 13
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