A mother-of-two who threw a television from a second-floor balcony which landed on a woman walking below has received a fully suspended sentence.
Caroline Connors (34) threw the TV in “a moment of madness”. The thrown appliance caused injury to a woman who had been walking hand-in-hand with her granddaughter.
Connors of South Central Apartments, Blackthorn Drive, Sandyford, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment at her address on June 27th, 2018. She has two previous convictions for criminal damage and public order.
Garda Donal Tully told Ronan Prendergast BL, prosecuting, that on the afternoon in question, a woman was walking across a pedestrian crossing with her granddaughter when a TV fell from above her, hitting her and knocking her to the ground.
Gda Tully said the woman’s granddaughter had been holding her hand and was on the other side of her to where the TV landed. The woman sustained injuries to her leg and her chest and attended hospital later that day.
The court heard the victim expressed concerns that her granddaughter and she might have been killed.
Connors, who was spotted picking up pieces of the TV after the incident, had thrown the TV from the second floor balcony of her apartment. She was deemed to be intoxicated upon her arrest.
In interview with gardaí, Connors admitted she threw the TV and put it down to her ex-partner “driving her crazy”. She said she would apologise to the injured woman and acknowledged the incident could have been a lot worse.
Gda Tully agreed with Maeve McCabe BL, defending, that her client had no intention of hitting anyone when she threw the TV. He agreed Connors had thrown the TV in “a moment of madness”.
Ms McCabe said her client had gotten into an argument with her ex-partner prior to the offence . She said that in a moment of rage her client picked up the TV and threw it out a window.
Counsel said her client was a carer for both of her parents prior to their deaths and she has had issues with alcohol for which she has undergone treatment.
Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Connors to three years imprisonment, but suspended the entirety of the sentence on strict conditions.