Women who set upon woman in petrol station after shots fired at home given suspended sentences

By Isabel Hayes

Three women set upon and assaulted another woman at a petrol station after shots were fired at a Dublin home on the morning of a child’s communion, a court has heard.

The families of Michelle Finnegan (38), Joanne Finnegan (37) and Caitlyn Donoghoe (22) were involved in a feud with another family at the time of the incident on May 21 last year, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday.

This feud is currently dormant “for now”, Detective Garda Stephen Neilan told the court.

On the morning of the day in question, shots were fired at the home of Joanne Finnegan’s mother’s house, the court heard.

There was a child in the garden at the time and the family was preparing to celebrate a child’s first holy communion.

The court heard emotions were “running high” as a result of this incident and when a woman from the opposing faction was seen at a nearby Applegreen petrol station, a group including Finnegan, Finnegan and Donoghoe set upon her.

They pulled her hair, dragged her to the ground, kicked and punched her and banged her head off the ground.

CCTV footage of the incident was played in court.

The incident ended when gardaí arrived at the scene.

The victim did not give a statement to gardaí and there was no victim impact report in court.

She does not appear to have been seriously injured as a result of the attack, the court heard.

Michelle Finnegan, of Kilcarrig Close, Fettercairn, and Donoghoe, of Sundale Avenue, Tallaght pleaded guilty to assaulting the woman with intent to commit violent disorder, while Joanne Finnegan, of Mac Uilliam Drive, Fortunestown pleaded guilty to violent disorder in relation to the incident.

Sarah Jane O’Callaghan BL, defending Michelle Finnegan, said a number of things had happened as a result of the now-dormant feud, including the graves of her twin children being desecrated.

She said this had nothing to do with the victim in this case.

Ms O’Callaghan said so many things had happened that you “couldn’t make it up”.

However Judge Martin Nolan declined to hear further evidence on other issues relating to the feud.

“A young lady was attacked by these three defendants,” the judge said. “I assume they are not psychopaths. I assume there were reasons for it. I’m not going to allow evidence that maligns other parties.”

Defence counsel said Michelle Finnegan had suffered a number of tragedies, including the murder of her husband, the father of her now 20-year-old child and the death of her twins.

Her house was burned down and she now lives with her mother. She has previous convictions, including for assault and drug offences.

Pieter Le Vert BL, defending Joanne Finnegan, said her 12-year-old child died suddenly as a result of cardiac arrest.

She has a number of other children and is a grandmother.

She has a good employment history and no previous convictions.

The court heard she is usually a calming influence on her extended family members in relation to the feud.

Defence counsel for Donoghoe said she was only 20 at the time of the offence.

She works in childcare and has no previous convictions.

Sentencing the women, Judge Nolan said it was lucky the victim in the case did not appear to suffer long-lasting effects as a result of the attack, but that she would have been terrified and frightened.

Taking into account the mitigation in the case, he said he did not believe the women deserved to go to jail for their actions.

He handed down a two year sentence to both Michelle and Joanne Finnegan, which he suspended in full.

In relation to Donoghoe, he said he would deal with her under Section 100, which means she will not have a criminal record.

He adjourned her matter to July 24 and ordered her to be of good behaviour until that date.