Kildare court: Gardaí explain why woman they arrested urinated in car

CASE UPDATE

Gardaí present in Naas District Court on Thursday, September 19 last explained why a woman they arrested urinated in a patrol car.

Back in January, the situation was explained to Judge Desmond Zaidan by solicitor Joe Coonan.

Mr Coonan made the comments on behalf of his client, Kelsey Browne, with an address given as Doorley Park in Rathangan.

Gardaí present at Naas District Court on Thursday, January 4 last told Judge Zaidan that the 22-year-old was arrested for apublic disorder offence at Doorley Park on December 9 last.

Upon reading the charge sheet, Judge Zaidan said to Mr Coonan that the situation 'is an embarrassing one: your client has been accused of urinating in a garda car.'

Mr Coonan replied that his client had asked gardaí to let her use a toilet because she had to urinate, but she claimed that gardaí refused this request, and as a result, she urinated involuntarily in the car.

On the latest date, a garda who was sworn in backed up Ms Browne's statement.

The garda explained that gardaí were called to a disturbance at a private residence in Doorley Park on December 9 last. 

He told the judge that an altercation happened between Ms Browne and an unspecified male, and added that she was acting in an abusive manner towards gardaí, and was arrested, and the the urination later occurred in the garda car.

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The garda explained that they did not let her urinate outside of the patrol, given that she 'was abusive to gardaí and that there were no female gardaí present.'

"Then why did you charge her with criminal damage?" Judge Zaidan asked, before adding that he would take the circumstances into account as part of his verdict.

He also told the garda: "That [type of similar situation] may be something you'll have to prepare for in the future."

The court was told that Ms Browne has one previous conviction for failing to give information to gardaí, which resulted in the Probation Act being enacted on her case.

Defending barrister Mark Gibbons told the court that the gardaí 'have been very fair' with Ms Browne.

"She is apologetic over what happened, and it won't happen again. I am just asking you to be as lenient as possible," he added.

Judge Desmond Zaidan decided to fine her €500 for the public disorder offence and gave her three months to pay this fine.

He further said that he took the criminal damage offence into consideration as part of his verdict.