Portlaoise Court: Screaming Laois TikToker called gardaí ‘bastards’

A LAOIS TikToker with nearly 22,000 followers, who called gardaí bastards and told them that they couldn’t arrest her, was given two two-year suspended sentences when she was brought before last Thursday’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court on foot of a bench warrant.

The court was told that a previous bench warrant had been issued for the defendant’s arrest, to which Judge Andrew Cody said: “And another date in which she wasn’t present.” 

 Defending solicitor Philip Meagher said that his client, 39-year old Laura Dunne from Lansdowne Court, Portarlington, is “a lady who suffers from extreme anxiety”.

Outlining the evidence, Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said that at 1.55am on 27 December last, gardaí responded to a disturbance outside the defendant’s address. They encountered Ms Dunne who was “kicking and screaming, calling gardaí bastards and telling them you can’t arrest me. It was two days after Christmas. When she sobered up she was okay”.

Sgt Kirby said the defendant had six previous convictions for road traffic and public order offences.

The court also heard that, a month earlier on 6 November, Ms Dunne was found in a distressed and dishevelled state, barefoot and without a phone at Fitzpatrick’s Garage, Monasterevin.

Mr Meagher said that on that occasion, she had been thrown from a car onto the road by her then-partner and a good Samaritan had picked up her and dropped her off at the garage. When the gardaí, arrived she was agitated and caused a disturbance.

The solicitor said the Christmas incident took place when friends and neighbours came to her house with alcohol. He said that her mood was low over a family issue at the time and that her beloved dog had died just before Christmas.

Ms Dunne pleaded guilty to being intoxicated and to engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour on both occasions.

Before passing sentence Judge Cody told Ms Dunne: “You clearly have an issue with alcohol.” 

 For the December offences, he went on to convict her of both charges and imposed two-month sentences on each, to run consecutively. He suspended them both for two years on condition that Ms Dunne be of good behaviour.

He took into consideration the other two offences that occurred in Monasterevin and granted free legal aid.