A WOMAN who gave a false name and refused to move when Gardaí approached her and a group gathered outside the home of a 93-year-old woman said she was “messing” when she gave the wrong name.
Zoe Lynch (18), of 1 Our Lady’s Place, Naas, Kildare, pleaded guilty to two charges of giving a false name and address to Gardaí and refusing an order by Gardaí to move away from an area.
Newcastle West District Court heard that Ms Lynch was appearing before the court for the first time as an adult.
She had been convicted of three previous incidents of theft two years previously but had not come to Garda attention since.
Judge Carol Ann Coolican was told that Gardaí approached a gathered group who were behaving rowdily outside the home of a 93-year-old woman in in the West Limerick town.
The court heard that Gardaí told the group to move on but Ms Lynch remained at the scene and gave false information when asked her name and address by Gardaí.
Her barrister told the court she regarded the March 24 incident as “very childish” on her part.
“Ms Lynch would say she was messing with the Garda but she realises that was very childish and she apologises,” he said.
The barrister said Ms Lynch had left school at 17 and is now living with her boyfriend.
Judge Coolican said that, despite the apology, Ms Lynch “appears to have scant regard for the orders of the court. She has failed to appear in court on seven occasions.”
“She had little regard for the Gardaí or for the 93-year-old woman in the house.”
The judge ordered a probation report on Ms Lynch and adjourned the matter to March 5.
