This article is from page 18 of the 2008-03-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
AN ARGUMENT between three young boys over football ended up in court after the mothers of two children were charged with offences arising from the incident.
Mary Tubridy, of 9 Cluain Lia, Shannon, was charged with assault- ing Carol O’Kane of 22 Cluain Lia, Shannon while Mrs O’Kane faced a public order charge, on October 1, 2006.
Mary ‘Tubridy’s son James (12), told Ennis District Court he had been playing with his friend Jason Hoban close to the home of another boy, Matthew O’Kane. He said that Math- ew O’Kane came over and asked if he could play soccer with them.
James Tubridy then said that Math- ew O’Kane’s mother, Carol, “came out and caught me by the throat and said ‘what did you call my son?’”
The court heard that soon after the three boys had met, Mathew O’ Kane ran home and told his mother that James Tubridy had called him a “t***i no bastard”.
Following the confrontation be- tween Carol O’Kane and James
Tubridy, the court was told that James went home and told his par- ents that Mrs O’Kane had called him a “f***ing bastard and a bul- ly”. A short time later, Mrs Tubridy challenged Mrs O’Kane about the incident. It was during a verbal al- tercation between the two that Mrs
Tubridy was alleged to have assault- ed Mrs O’Kane by striking her in the rede
In her evidence, Mrs O’Kane ad- mitted that she confronted James Tu- bridy and reprimanded him for using language at her son but denied that she grabbed him by the throat.
Carol O’ Kane told the court, “I was sitting on the fence and she came right up to me with her fist clenched. There was an argument between us. She went to punch me in the face but I turned my head and she hit me in the neck.”
Judge Aeneas McCarthy acquitted Ms O’Kane. “In the case of Carol O’Kane, she did say she raised her finger and her voice was raised at this young man but I don’t think her behaviour reached the threshold high enough to convict her under the Pub- lic Order Act,” he said.
“In the case of Mary Tubridy, I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that she did assault Carol O’Kane. She admitted to the guards in her statement that she hit her about the face. I will mark it proved but will adjourn the matter for a period of six months and if there is no trouble in the meantime, I will apply the Proba- tion Act,’ Judge McCarthy said.
“These are neighbours and apply- ing penalties would only aggravate the situation,” he added.