A MOTHER of four has been jailed for six months for impersonating a garda and assaulting a 13-year-old boy whom she believed was bullying her son.
Vicky Naughton (32) and co-accused Gerry O’Callaghan (29), both Dromroe, Rhebogue, Limerick, pleaded guilty at Limerick District Court yesterday to assault and impersonating a garda on June 22nd, 2007 at Rhebogue Road, Limerick. They were jailed for six months after Judge Tom O’Donnell described their case as “one of the most disgraceful and outrageous” he had come across.
The court heard the victim was walking home at 11pm when the defendants pulled up next to him and blocked his path. They said they were gardaí and Naughton searched the boy taking keys, change and a mobile phone. He was then asked to get into the car for a further search. However, a man who knew the teenager’s father came along and asked if everything was okay. The defendants said they were gardaí before they returned the property and left.
The victim’s father said his family were traumatised by the incident. He refused to accept apologies offered in court.
Defence solicitor said Naughton now fully accepted the boy had nothing to do with her son. Mr O’Callaghan’s solicitor said he was being “a good Samaritan to his friend’s son”.
Judge O’Donnell could not accept it was a spur of the moment action. “This was a premeditated act to scare this young man,” said the judge. It was the “luck of God” that the man intervened. Nobody had the right to “accost a 13-year-old boy in this way”.
He postponed Naughton’s sentence until August 7th because of her family circumstances.