A 26-year-old Dublin woman has been remanded in custody charged with attacking two elderly Dublin pensioners.
Ms Jacinta Osborne, of Merchants Road, East Wall, Dublin, has been remanded until a bail hearing this afternoon.
Ms Osborne was charged on two counts under Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Act, in Dublin District Court yesterday. She is alleged to have attacked two elderly pensioners, Mrs Phyllis Fleming and Mr Matt Fleming, of Merchants Road, in their home early on Monday morning.
Det Garda Sean McAvinchey said it was alleged that at 12.50 a.m. the accused knocked at the door of the Flemings' home. Mrs Fleming (76), had earlier tapped on the ceiling with a walking stick to object to noise from the flat above.
Ms Osborne is alleged to have pushed her way in and beaten Mrs Fleming about the head with a metal walking stick, the detective told the court. She beat Mrs Fleming across the head with a radio on five occasions, and tried to put the flex of a telephone or television around her neck.
It was also alleged she put a chair across Mrs Fleming and put a foot on her throat and tried to strangle her with the walking aid, the court heard.
Mr Fleming (79), who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, came out of the bedroom and the accused attacked him, the court heard. She chased him through the house causing severe lacerations to his head and bruises to his body, said the detective. Mr Fleming managed to escape. He got assistance from a neighbour.
The court heard the accused had threatened both Mr and Mrs Fleming that she would have them killed. Her family would finish them off if they contacted the gardai or an ambulance, she had threatened. The garda had not heard the threats but said there were several independent witnesses to the verbal threats.
Mr and Mrs Fleming were taken to the Mater Hospital with severe lacerations to the head and bruising to the body. Mrs Fleming had multiple fractures to her right hand. These were defensive wounds when she tried to protect herself, said Det Garda McAvinchey.