CRANBERRIES lead singer Dolores O’Riordan has been ordered to pay €6,000 to the court poor box within one week after a judge said that it would be unfair and unjust to leave her with a criminal conviction over an air rage incident on a flight from New York to Shannon over a year ago.
Ms O’Riordan (44) with an address at Friarstown, Kilmallock had admitted three counts of assault and another charge relating to the obstruction a garda at Shannon Airport on November 10, 2014.
Evidence had been heard in the case that the Limerick singer became unruly during the New York to Shannon flight.
Upon arrival, Ms O’Riordan assaulted two members of the airport police before she headbutted and spat at a garda who she falsely claimed had sexually assaulted her.
She was arrested and later found singing in the custody cells proclaiming that she was the “Queen of Limerick”.
In medical evidence presented to the court, Dolores O’Riordan was described as being in a hypomanic state at the time of the incident and could no be held responsible for her actions.
In his ruling, Judge Patrick Durcan said that he was satisfied that Ms O’Riordan was suffering from a mental illness and thus inhibited her judgement.
