Four women involved in a "vulgar, jealous row" over one of them allegedly having spent an evening with a 73-year-old man were told by a judge yesterday they should be ashamed of themselves.
"As far as this case is concerned, there are no ladies in court today," Judge Gerard Haughton said when he dismissed assault charges against the 63-year-old partner of the man and two of her daughters.
Dublin District Court heard that Bridget Smith (63) and daughters Selina (37) and Elaine (28) waited for hours outside the old folks' flat of Pat Denton (73) to see their former family friend, Marion Doyle, emerge.
They denied charges of assaulting Ms Doyle, who received treatment in Tallaght Hospital for bruising around her eye and soft tissue damage.
When Selina Smith approached Ms Doyle about why she had been in Mr Denton's home for three hours, she replied using vulgar language.
Ms Doyle told the court she was then "hopped on" by the three women and beaten and kicked outside Mr Denton's flat in Liscarne Dale, Clondalkin, on August 18th, 2003.
Ms Doyle had been for dinner earlier that evening in the Smith family home, in nearby Liscarne Gardens, and accepted a lift from Selina to buy cigarettes.
Later, Bridget Smith walked over to Mr Denton's home, where she slept most nights, but could not get any response when she rang the door bell.
She returned a short time later with her two daughters because they were worried something might have happened to Mr Denton. They spent nearly three hours sitting in Selina's car outside the flat and at 10.40pm, Ms Doyle emerged.
"I was shocked, I was hysterical," said Bridget, who said she had been Mr Denton's partner for 30 years and he was the father of two of her five children, including Elaine.
Selina claimed she was hit first by Ms Doyle and a fight ensued, with Ms Doyle hitting her on the back with a bag of cans of beer.
Bridget said she got out of the car only after the altercation was over and shouted some remarks through Mr Denton's letter box.
Judge Haughton said it was clear from Ms Doyle's evidence that she was an unreliable witness and the three defendants were "not much better.
"Even though I do not believe any of the evidence given by the defendants because they have contradicted themselves and lied, so also has the injured party, Ms Doyle, and because of that I cannot be sure what happened."