A mother of one who bit off part of another woman's ear during a fight at a Ballymun taxi company has been given a three-year suspended sentence.
Natalia McCann (28), from Sillogue Road, Ballymun, Dublin, was convicted earlier this month by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of assault causing harm to Ms Pamela Maxwell (21) at Checkers cab company on November 10th, 2002.
Garda Ed Wheeler told prosecuting counsel Mr Adrian Mannering SC that McCann, the mother of an 11-year-old daughter, had no previous convictions, and had co-operated with gardaí.
Ms Maxwell said during the trial that McCann came running over to her shouting that she had been "waiting for this for a long time". After biting her ear she said she was "spitting blood".
She required 10 stitches and a tetanus injection after the assault.
Judge Frank O'Donnell read from a victim impact report in which Ms Maxwell described herself as a "nervous wreck". She said she had suffered from flashbacks, was afraid to walk on her own and was also afraid there might be a repeat attack.
However, he acknowledged reassurances from Mr Bernard Condon, for McCann, that his client had "no desire to continue this vendetta". He said he had no doubt that McCann was the ring-leader of the group who attacked Ms Maxwell.
Judge O'Donnell said that violence between young females was all too frequently coming before the courts, and "a message has to go out to those tempted to inflict violence on others". However, he was "very much influenced" by evidence given by McCann's employer, Mr Brendan Murphy, a psychotherapist, who said she worked as a secretary and was an excellent employee.
Judge O'Donnell suspended the three-year sentence on condition that McCann agrees to keep the peace for four years and keeps in regular contact with the probation service for six months.