A mother-of-two who ‘snapped’ and pushed her 69-year-old neighbor halfway up the stairs after she knocked on her door complaining of loud music has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Denise Curran (39) of 5 Hillside, Finea, Mullingar, Co Westmeath pleaded guilty at Longford Circuit Court to assault causing injury at Rath Beg Flats, Abbeylara, Granard, Co Longford on 12 November 2023 at 7pm: 40.

Judge Kenneth Connolly was highly critical that the defendant, who received a 15-month prison sentence in May last year for a separate offence, had served just 21 days and was at large when he carried out the “outrageous” attack.

In her evidence, Gda Sabrina Scally said victim Marian Lynch heard a noise on the night in question and went downstairs to find out where it was coming from.

Leading the evidence of Garda Sabrina Scally, prosecutor Shane Geraghty BL narrated CCTV footage obtained from the applicant’s property.

He said the footage showed Ms Lynch walking down the stairs to Ms Curran’s flat and described how she was briefly blinded as she spoke to the defendant.

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Mr Geraghty said the footage then shows Ms Lynch walking up the stairs and moments later Ms Curran can be seen coming up behind her, putting her hand over her shoulder and aggressively pushing her up the stairs.

Mr Geraghty then turned to Gda Scally and asked a rhetorical question, which he quickly accepted and agreed to.
“Ms. Curran is actually pushing Ms. Lynch down the stairs, isn’t she,” he said.

Gda Scally explained that Ms Lynch fell about nine flights of stairs and suffered a deep gash on the top of her head which required five stitches.

Gda Scally said an ambulance was called and Ms Lynch’s head was bandaged before she was taken to Mullingar General Hospital.

Several photographs documenting the injuries were handed to Judge Kenneth Connolly.

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The court also heard a medical report which also documented how the victim also suffered a laceration to the back of her head which later required five stitches, trauma to the back of her head and bruising to the right side of her buttocks and right arm and wrist.

Gda Scally said Ms Lynch had lost a lot of blood which was found at the bottom of the stairs and in her flat.

The court heard that gardaí first received a complaint from the defendant Ms Curran about the incident and Gda Scally attended the scene with Sgt Kieran Flynn and they spoke to her.

“She said Marian Lynch knocked on the door with a knife in his hand, shouting abuse at her,” she said. “The hallway was dark so I had to use my flashlight but I could see there was blood everywhere, blood all over the hallway and it led to Marian Lynch’s apartment.”

Gda Scally said she went up to Ms Lynch’s flat and they had to put an armed Regional Support Unit (RSU) in the door because she was unable to answer them.

“When we went in, her bedroom was full of blood and she had a very deep cut on her head,” she added.

Gda Scally said they then saw the CCTV footage and it was clear Curran was the one responsible for causing the injuries.

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The court heard officers soon realized the defendant was lying and Ms Lynch had made several previous complaints about Ms Curran and loud music to Longford Garda station.

The court heard Ms Lynch hired a cleaner to remove blood stains from the stairs at a cost of €110 and paid a dog walker €700 over a 10-week period.

Mr Geraghty read Ms Lynch’s victim impact statement to the court and said after the attack she complained of pain all over her body and described the psychological trauma.

“Marian stated the fear she felt walking past Denise Curran’s door, which was at the bottom of her stairs, knowing she was there,” he said. “Marian stated that her two friends who would visit her would not go past Denise Curran’s door out of fear, so she would not go to see Marian and she felt isolated in her apartment.”

Mr Geraghty said the victim also described how her life had changed as a result of the vicious attack.

“Marian stated that she would stay in her apartment longer than before the attack and that she would not socialize with people as much now,” the report said.

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Ms. Lynch also stated her mobility because the attack is much slower.

Gda Scally said Curran was questioned and she initially protested her innocence, however, she began to take some responsibility after being informed of the CCTV footage.

Officers asked her to describe her actions and she said she didn’t even remember and added she was “worried” about

Ms Lynch or she would not have called the Gardai.

Curran said during the interview that he pulled on Ms Lynch’s right arm but did not push her down the stairs on purpose.

Asked by gardaí if she was out of control, she admitted she was angry, reckless and snapped.

“I don’t know why I did it. I was drinking and it was stupid,” she told officers. “If he hadn’t come to my door, it wouldn’t have happened.”

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Curran has 69 previous convictions, including six assault-related convictions, several hit-and-run driving convictions and a dangerous driving conviction.

Judge Kenneth Connolly noted that the defendant received a 15-month prison sentence and was sent to Mountjoy Women’s Prison on May 25, 2023 in connection with the reactivation of a dangerous conviction causing grievous bodily harm sentence.

He asked how she was out, as he pointed out, even with remission, the earliest she should have been released was May of this year.

Judge Connolly appeared shocked to hear that Curran had only served 21 days of her 15 months in prison and was on temporary release with no obligation to return.

“21 days….with this record?” he added.

Defense barrister Raymond Groarke BL, said his client lives with her parents in Finea and several siblings and has no plans to move back to the flat in Rath Beg, which should reassure Ms Lynch.

The court heard that Ms Lynch is now in her 70s and has made a relatively good recovery.

Mr Groarke said his client had a remarkably difficult upbringing and a probation report said she struggled with depression and addiction difficulties.

“The bottom line is that offending behavior is strongly associated with alcohol abuse, and her risk of recidivism is similarly related,” he said. “If he wants to turn over a new leaf, he has to deal with it.”

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Mr Groarke accepted the incident was very shocking but he said his client has been working in a convenience store for two months now, she has co-operated with gardaí and written a letter of apology to the victim.

“The footage shows Ms Curran in a very bad state and is not an accurate representation of the type of person she is or can be,” added the lawyer, who appealed for leniency.

Judge Connolly said he had not been on the bench long but the CCTV footage “depicts one of the most painful acts” he had seen to date.

“Whatever circumstances your client found herself in at the time, accepting that she was intoxicated and she rushed and accepting that she found Ms. Lynch an annoying neighbor, perhaps it was not worth it that this poor 70-year-old woman to be thrown down the stairs,” he added.

He sentenced Curran to four-and-a-half years in prison, with the last twelve months suspended.

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