A pregnant woman took a knife out of her sock and stabbed a Galway city taxi driver in the arm after he told her she was not allowed to smoke in his cab.
Marie Ryan (31), Wellpark Grove, Galway, pleaded guilty at a special sitting of Galway District Court yesterday to assaulting taxi driver Mr Fergal Murphy by stabbing him in the arm, on August 29th, 2003.
Mr Murphy gave evidence the accused and a man got into the back of his taxi in Eyre Square. The man had a can of beer. While driving down Francis Street in the city, Ryan asked for a light for a cigarette. Mr Murphy informed her she couldn't smoke in a taxi and she became quite aggressive and abusive. He stopped his taxi, got out and asked her to get out of the taxi.
Ms Ryan got out and as she did so she pulled a penknife out of her sock and stabbed Mr Murphy into the upper right arm before running from the scene. He had to receive treatment in hospital for the wound.
Numerous other offences, including another serious assault - where a store security guard was bitten in the arm by the accused - several less serious assaults and public order offences were also before the court.
Defence solicitor Ms Valerie Corcoran said her client had a history of alcohol abuse and was on medication for manic depression and psychotic episodes brought about by her alcohol abuse. She said her client drank heavily while grieving the loss of her partner, but had not taken a drink in the last six months.
Reading a detailed probation report on the accused, Judge Timothy Lucey noted her partner, Mr Colman Barrett, had been murdered in September, 2003, and her baby was due at the end of May.
The judge said the report indicated Ryan was drug and alcohol free for the last six months and while her other child had been taken into care, there was reason to believe she would be able to keep this baby if she reformed her life.
Judge Lucey adjourned sentencing to June 23rd.