A PREGNANT DUBLIN woman who assaulted two brothers with the heel of her stiletto shoe has avoided a jail-term.
Zoe Thompson (21) of Kilclare Drive, Tallaght pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of assault causing harm to Aidan and Colm Brown at the Abberley Hotel, also in Tallaght on 15 April 2013.
Judge Desmond Hogan handed down a three-year sentence for both of the counts, suspending them in their entirety.
Judge Hogan said it was a serious ill-tempered assault but noted Thompson’s cooperation and said there was no reason to believe that her remorse was not genuine.
A letter from a doctor was handed into the court and Thompson’s defence told the court she had pregnancy complications. The judge said that work in the community was not appropriate given her condition.
The court heard Thompson had €2,000 as a gesture of remorse and the judge ordered that it be split between the two victims.
Garda Alan Young told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting, that Aidan Brown was coming off the dance floor of the Entourage nightclub, in the Abberley Hotel, when he bumped into another man.
The other man became aggressive but Mr Brown couldn’t hear what he was saying because of the loud music. He said they began grabbing each other and fell to the ground.
At some point Thompson intervened and hit the victim on his forehead with the stiletto heel. He later received seven surgical staples to his head.
The victim’s brother was at the bar and saw the men “squaring up” to each other. He came over to break the fight up and Thompson hit him from behind with the shoe heel.
This man later received five surgical staples to the back of his head.
Aidan Brown, who works as a barman, said he lost €1,000 in missed wages as he was out of work for two weeks after the assault. He said his scar was still visible and he is still aware of that while going to job interviews.
His brother lost one week’s wage, totalling €690.
Thompson has four previous convictions under the road traffic act, including one for drunk driving.
Conor McKenna BL, defending, said this was a shocking and frightening assault but said his client has no other convictions involving violence.
He said she has taken part in anger awareness and alcohol offending courses since the assaults.
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