An Australian nurse's aid who shoved a glass into the face of a woman she thought was interested in her boyfriend, has been given a two-year sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Dolores Garcia (29), of Lower Rathmines Road, Rathmines, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Ruth Clarke on January 14th, 2005.
Judge Katherine Delahunt, who was told in many testimonials handed into court that Garcia was previously "an impeccable character", said the "attack was unprovoked and was premised on her belief that your boyfriend and the victim were engaged in conversation and that she was interested in him".
Judge Delahunt said Garcia's actions were not premeditated but rather an impulsive, emotional reaction and that she had consumed a lot of alcohol.
The judge imposed a two-year jail sentence but suspended the final year.
Garda Karen Kilcullen told Karen O'Connor, prosecuting, that Ms Clarke had just put an empty glass down on a table when she noticed a man and woman standing next to her. She saw the woman move a glass towards her face. Ms Clarke was taken to hospital where she was found to have a deep cut above her upper lip and a superficial cut to the side of her nose.
At the time, it was thought her injuries could be "potentially cosmetically disfiguring" but it was later concluded that although a scar above her lip was permanent, it required no further cosmetic surgery.
Garda Kilcullen said Garcia was intoxicated at the time and had admitted to "lashing out" at the victim because she thought the girl was interested in her boyfriend.
"I am very sorry but that's not going to make things better for that poor girl," Garcia told gardaí.
Garcia, who had come to Ireland the previous November, had no previous convictions either here or in Australia and had not come to Garda attention since.
Garda Kilcullen agreed with Luan Ó Braonáin, defending, that Garcia was normally a timid and not aggressive person and that her actions on the night were "quite remarkably uncharacteristic".