Woman abusive to gardai in Dundalk during the filming of the RTE documentary 'on The Beat'

A 20 year old woman who was abusive towards gardai during the filming of the new RTE documentary series ‘On The Beat’ would have preferred to 'not have an audience', Dundalk district court was told last week.

Lucy Devlin with an address at Rathmount, Seafield Road, Blackrock was charged with being intoxicated in a public place and using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour arising out of the incident on the Carrickmacross Road, Dundalk on March 26th last and on a different occasion on Bridge Street on February 6th last.

The court heard how gardai received a report at 5.30pm of a woman outside a house on the Carrick Road, refusing to leave.

She claimed that water had been thrown at her and at one stage fell over.

Court presenter Sgt Letitia McConnell said that the defendant was shouting abuse at gardai while members of the public were present, and then started “shouting profanities” at an RTE camera crew and “gave the middle finger” to them.

Man (37) became abusive to ambulance personnel trying to treat him, Dundalk court told

Judge Stephanie Coggans said “It’s not on” but struck out the charges after a fine was paid

The previous month, the defendant was drunk on Bridge Street when she rang 999 around 9pm and was abusive to the officers who arrived on the scene, again in front of other members of the public.

The court was told the defendant had one previous conviction for being intoxicated in a public place.

The defence solicitor said the incident is very much regretted by his client and explained that she felt the presence of the camera crew aggravated the situation, where she was in distress and would have preferred that she did not have an audience.

He added the defendant is under the care of a neurologist and having been educated to the Junior Cert, she is hopeful of doing a Level 5 course and urged the court to be “as lenient as you can”.

Judge Stephanie Coggans said “Public order offences are a nuisance for the gardai” and referring to that day’s court list added there were “so many of them on here”.

The judge adjourned the Carrick Road matters to December fourth, and directed that they be struck out if €300 is paid to the North Louth Hospice by then.

The other offences were marked 'taken into consideration'.