A 33-year-old woman has been sentenced to a 12-month probation order after she was unable to complete community service due to ill health.
Caroline Diane Kelly, of Urley Path, Anagh Coar, was previously sentenced to 200 hours of community service in August 2018 after admitting assaulting a police officer, disorderly behaviour on licensed premises and being drunk and disorderly.
However, magistrates heard that she had so far only been able to do 71-and-a-half hours due to serious health issues and community service organisers asked for her to be resentenced.
The offences for which the community service was initially imposed took place on June 10, 2018, when police were called to Church Street near the Outback bar.
Kelly was said to be shouting and swearing after being asked to leave the club.
As police officers took hold of her to arrest her she punched one officer in the face, causing his helmet to fly off before she was put on the ground and restrained using Pava spray.
When interviewed later by police she said she had no recollection of the incident, confessing that she had drunk too much.
Defence advocate Matthew Wilshaw said that his client had suffered serious health problems since the community service was imposed.
’This is not somebody who does not want to complete the hours,’ said the advocate.
’Probation have concluded that it is not possible for her to complete the order, not because she’s not trying to, but because she cannot do so.’
A probation report recommended that a probation order would be the most appropriate replacement for the community service.
Mr Wilshaw said: ’I submit it is with a heavy heart Ms Kelly finds herself back here.’
Magistrates agreed to revoke the community service order, replacing it with the 12-month probation order.