A Kerry woman with over 100 previous convictions has avoided further prison time for stabbing a man, in what was described by the judge as her “last chance saloon”.
43-year-old Noreen Flannery of Cois Coille, Tralee, was found guilty of assault causing harm and production of a knife during a dispute at her home in March last year.
The injured party, William O’Donoghue, was stabbed in the leg by Ms Flannery with a knife; he was described in court as a vulnerable individual.
A jury of six men and six women reached a unanimous verdict of guilty on both counts in just 21 minutes.
Mr O’Donoghue had been invited to the house of Ms Flannery and her partner Joe O’Shea at Cois Coille in Tralee, but Ms Flannery became aggressive and stabbed him in the upper thigh with a knife.
Ms Flannery, originally from Dingle, has 103 previous convictions and had been in custody for 327 days in relation to this by sentencing.
The court heard she has long-standing addiction issues to alcohol, but she is working and engaging in prison and is now committed to sobriety.
Judge Sinead Behan said the most important part of her sentence was the necessity to address addiction issues, and she said Ms Flannery is looking much healthier than she had done.
Judge Behan handed her a headline sentence of three years, but backdated this to include the days she’s already served, and suspended the balance of it for three years as of Friday, when she will take up a place in a residential treatment centre in Ardfert.
Among the conditions attached to this, are that she maintains sobriety, and gardaí can demand a urine sample for analysis from her for the duration of her suspended sentence.
Speaking directly to Ms Flannery, Judge Behan said this is last chance saloon at this stage, and told her it’s in her own hands.
