Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_02_21/GA_2102_E1_012.pdf 

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12 N E W S

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

February 21 2008

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Schoolgirls assaulted by drunken Mervue teenager
A drunken Mervue woman who repeatedly punched two school girls in the face as they got off a bus in Eyre Square, fracturing one girl's cheekbone, has been given time to pay compensation to her young victims. Jayne Miller (18), 41 St James' Crescent, Mervue, had denied assaulting both 14-year-olds, causing them harm, at Eyre Square on April 3 last year, because she said she could not remember doing it, but she changed her plea to that of guilty at the last moment at Galway District Court this week. Both victims were present in court and were ready to give evidence, but did not have to do so when the accused changed her plea. One young girl was accompanied by her mother and the other by her father. Inspector Ernie White said the young girls had got off a bus at 11pm when Miller, who was extremely intoxicated, approached both of them for no reason and attacked them. She hit one of the girls three times into the face and then hit the other girl six or seven times into the face, ripping one of her earrings off. One of the victims suffered a hairline fracture to her cheekbone during the assault. He said there was no motive for the attack but Miller was intoxicated at the time. Judge Mary Fahy asked both victims how the assault had affected them. One girl told her she and her friend had just got off the Ballybane bus when Miller came up to them, swinging a bottle of Buckfast, and punched both of them several times in the face. One girl said the accused was about to hit her with the bottle when someone pulled her away. Both girls said they were now afraid to go into town and were afraid of meeting the accused. Defence solicitor Olivia Traynor apologised for the necessity of having to bring both juveniles into court but, she explained, her client had only pleaded guilty at the last minute because she had found it hard to accept she had done such a thing and had no recollection of doing it. She said the date of the incident was significant in that it was the date of Miller's late father's anniversary and he had died in tragic circumstances. Ms Traynor said alcohol was a big factor at the time of the attacks and that Miller was getting bereavement and alcohol counselling going back to when she was attending secondary school. Ms Traynor said Miller's mother and grandmother were in court and both her client and her mother had 1,000 in compensation to offer as a token of her remorse to both victims. She said Miller also wished to apologise to both victims. The parents of both victims decided to accept the 1,000 between them and Judge Mary Fahy adjourned the matter to May 12 next for the payment of a further 2,000 by the accused on that date. She advised the parents that there was nothing to stop them from bringing a civil claim against the accused, and added that the compensation of 1,500 each was for their children's benefit and not theirs. The mother of one of the girls expressed concern for the girls' safety if they went into town again and were confronted by the accused. Judge Fahy directed Miller not to have any contact with the girls or their parents and she indicated that if the total amount of 3,000 was paid by next May she would impose a suspended sentence with conditions attached on that date.

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Pictured at the North Galway Hunt Ball in the Clayton Hotel last weekend were Grace Murphy, Taylor's Hill, and Tommy Doherty, Claregalway. Photo: Sean Lydon