A Sligo IT lecturer has been convicted of assaulting a minor outside a Co Mayo primary school.
At a sitting of Belmullet District Court, Judge Mary Devins told the defendant, Mary Mulherin, Cooneal, Ballina, Co Mayo, that she had "overreacted" to an incident involving her six-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old boy.
The judge said the boy's evidence had been "compelling, credible and consistent" and while he had inadvertently swung his school bag and knocked into Ms Mulherin's daughter, she had overreacted.
Judge Devins was also critical of a teacher who admitted witnessing the incident but had declined to become involved in the Garda investigation.
The judge told the court it was "startling and disturbing" that the teacher refused to get involved as she had great respect for the profession.
Judge Devins first heard the case in Ballina District Court this summer, when the boy and his father, settled Travellers, had given detailed evidence about the incident that took place outside the rural school shortly after 3pm on December 4th last year.
Evidence from all parties had revealed that Ms Mulherin's daughter had fallen into a pothole outside the school and that one side of her coat and head had become soaked during the incident.
Both the young boy and his father claimed she had tripped and that the boy had gone to her aid and helped her up.
They said her mother, Ms Mulherin, had subsequently assaulted him, after she pulled up in her car to collect her children.
Sitting in the witness stand, the boy gave detailed evidence of events.
He alleged Ms Mulherin got out of her car and immediately chastised and slapped him.
"What did you do to my daughter?" he claimed she asked. "Then she slapped me in the face and was shaking me and banging my head against the railings. The teacher saw it," said the boy.
He also claimed that Ms Mulherin had said: "I know what you are. I know where you come from and where you are going."
Sgt Jim O'Toole said Ms Mulherin had admitted to being "very annoyed" and that she had "pointed her finger in an aggressive manner".
In her evidence, the 42-year-old also claimed she had asked the boy: "What happened to Aoife? Leave Aoife alone. She is much younger than you." She claimed the boy retorted: "Will you make me?" To which she had replied, "you little pup".
She also said her daughter told her that she had been knocked sideways into the puddle as the boy swung around with his schoolbag on his back.
She admitted she had gestured at him, "pointed my finger", and when she inadvertently touched his jumper, had immediately pulled back. She claimed the boy was not upset at all by their interaction.
"[ The boy] would say that when [ the teacher] passed, you were choking him," said John Gordon, solicitor for the accused.
She denied this, conceded she was annoyed but insisting she "would never indiscriminately start slapping anyone".
Having convicted the woman of assault and a public order offence, the judge adjourned sentencing to allow defence counsel time to produce a medical report for Ms Mulherin, and consider the possibility of compensation.