Courts

Woman sentenced to 10 months for attack on wheelchair user in Cork city

Chantelle Duffy (26) struck an elderly woman, who was on her way to lunch with her carer, in the face during unprovoked incident last April

A woman has been jailed for 10 months for a ‘sitting duck” attack on an elderly woman lady in a wheelchair. Photograph: Barry Roche
A woman has been jailed for 10 months for a ‘sitting duck” attack on an elderly woman lady in a wheelchair. Photograph: Barry Roche
Olivia Kelleher
Sat Sept 14 2024 - 12:13

A woman has been jailed for 10 months for a ‘sitting duck” attack on an elderly woman in a wheelchair, who she slapped in the face on a public street.

Chantelle Duffy, of Parkview Terrace, Wellington Road, Cork, appeared before Cork District Court by video link on Friday, having pleaded guilty to a charge of assault.

Judge Mary Dorgan showed Duffy (26) a picture of the bruised face of the woman she had “clattered”. Ms Duffy told the judge that she was genuinely sorry for her behaviour during the incident in Cork city centre on April 4th. She admitted that what she had done to the victim was “terrible.”

Ms Duffy, who has 33 previous convictions including one for assault, accepted that it was a serious and completely unprovoked matter.

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Her solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said that his client was suffering from psychosis when she assaulted the woman on Winthrop Street.

“She [Duffy] has a limited recollection of the event. It is not something she set out deliberately to do. In a psychotic state she lashed out. That doesn’t justify or excuse her behaviour.

“There is an addiction background. She is doing well in prison and its much improved.”

Judge Dorgan said it was hard to reconcile the poor behaviour of Duffy with the demeanour of the person she was dealing with via video link. She said that it was a shocking incident.

“This was an elderly lady being wheeled in her wheelchair by a carer on Winthrop Street. She got a clatter to the face and bruising to the bridge of her nose and face. It must have been difficult for her.

“There is no doubt that the victim was frightened and upset. I am also thinking of the person pushing the wheelchair who was employed to bring this woman in to the Old Oak [pub] for a sandwich in the middle of the day. What could be nicer? And then this person not in her right mind gives her a clatter.”

Judge Dorgan jailed Ms Duffy for 10 months. The judge urged the accused to get on top of her addiction issues to prevent further incidents of this kind from occurring.

She added that illegal drugs exacerbated the condition of persons like Duffy who suffer from mental health issues.