A woman who abandoned her child in a buggy on the side of the street while she and her twin sister carried out “a vicious assault” that left bite marks on the arms and abdomen of the victim has been sentenced to seven months in prison with the final two months suspended. Her sister was given a six month suspended sentence.
Nicole Keenan and her twin sister, Tia Keenan, both aged 22 and both of 82 Ardnacassa Avenue, Longford, appeared before Judge Vincent Deane at a special sitting of Longford District Court this morning, both charged with section 3 assault and section 6 public order.
Gda Noelle Fahy outlined to the court that, on February 21st, 2022, she and a colleague observed a vehicle parked on Main Street Longford with the doors open and a man and woman standing at the passenger door.
As they neared the vehicle, they observed two women on top of a third woman inside the car. Gda Fahy removed Nicole Keenan from the front of the vehicle and arrested and charged her with section 3 assault and section 6 public order.
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Tia Keenan, she said, was in the back of the vehicle. She remained on the scene due to the presence of a minor but was arrested later that day and charged with section 3 assault and section 6 public order.
In a victim impact statement, read in court by Inspector Paddy McGirl, Rosaleen Ward expressed her fear and anxiety of being alone in public places since the attack.
Ms Ward also explained that she drives around “with the doors of the car locked and the windows up” for fear of being attacked again.
“I feel extra vulnerable now that I am pregnant and I am very afraid that both these girls are going to beat me again,” she said.
“Since the attack, I have been left with multiple scars on my arms and hip and I feel very self conscious about showing my arms and hip and my hair has been falling out over the stress.”
Solicitor for the sisters, Mr Frank Gearty, explained that his clients are young women, one of which has two children, who are “at the start of their young lives”.
“Unforgivably, when they saw the car across the way, they perceived the other parties initiated matters by pulling faces and taking pictures of them and they committed these acts of violence,” said Mr Gearty.
“Since then, there have been continuing problems between the families but my clients would happily engage with mediation and would happily be bound to the peace.”
Judge Deane, on hearing the evidence, ranked the incident as “serious” and stated it would attract a seven month prison sentence before mitigation.
While Tia Keenan had a previously unblemished record, Nicole Keenan, he noted, had one previous conviction for the possession of a flick knife, “which in itself is a serious conviction for holding a weapon, which could be used to cause harm”.
“It is also an aggravating factor that it happened on the main street and that she left her child without any care to go and carry out this vicious assault,” said Judge Deane.
“If we move to Tia, she’s an aunt and she too left the child. You have to wonder what the people of Longford who were going about their daily business were thinking. They don’t know any context or background, they just see people being attacked.”
The fact that Tia had no previous convictions and entered an early guilty plea were seen as mitigating factors and, as such, the seven month sentence was reduced to six months and suspended in its entirety for two years.
“In relation to Nicole, I can see very little mitigation if any,” said Judge Deane, imposing a seven month sentence with the final two months suspended for two years.
A condition was set that neither woman should contact the injured parties, directly or indirectly.
Both sentences were in relation to the section 3 assaults. Section 6 public order charges were taken into consideration.
Recognisance was fixed at a €600 own bond and €200 cash bond in respect of Nicole Keenan, and a €300 own bond for Tia Keenan.