Gardaí have begun an inquiry into how a 32-year-old woman who acts as the main carer for her seriously ill mother was arrested on a warrant and held overnight after she failed to appear as a witness in an assault case.
Supt Mick Finn, of Anglesea Street station in Cork, confirmed that he has begun an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Michelle Quinn from Inchera Park, Mahon, Cork, after she failed to appear to testify in a case at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday.
According to Ms Quinn, she is the main carer for her mother, Peggy (52), who suffers from Motor Neurone Disease, and after putting her mother to bed on Monday night she spent the night at the home of her boyfriend, Ken Walsh.
"The summons to attend court had arrived about a month and a half ago but we were busy all last week with fundraising to send my mother for stem cell treatment and I forgot about it," said Ms Quinn who highlighted her case on the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's 96FM.
Ms Quinn said when she arrived home on Tuesday, her father, Andy, said gardaí had called at 11.30am, saying she was required in court and she began making her way into court when her father rang to say a garda had called and told him there was now no need for her to attend.
Ms Quinn confirmed she had received five previous summonses to attend court in relation to the case but had not attended on any occasion though she had checked afterwards with other witnesses and was told each time that the case had been adjourned.
However, the State applied to Judge Patrick Moran for a warrant for attachment for Ms Quinn some time after noon on Tuesday seeking to have her brought before the court to explain why she should not be held in contempt for failing to appear earlier that morning.
According to Ms Quinn, two gardaí arrived at her home at 7.40pm on Tuesday evening and told her she would have to accompany them as they had a warrant for her arrest after she had failed to show up earlier that morning for the trial. "I said I couldn't go as I had to look after my mum - I said who's going to look after my mum, she's seriously ill and my dad is in Dublin and they said what about your brother, Andrew, who's only 16, or Ken who was there as well - I said they can't mind her."
She said the gardaí said she would have to come with them so she asked a neighbour to help and the neighbour ended up putting her mother and brother to bed.
According to Ms Quinn, she was held in the Bridewell Garda station overnight before being brought before Judge Moran on Wednesday morning and she said that he expressed some concern that gardaí had held her overnight in order to ensure her appearance.
Supt Finn said gardaí are obliged to execute warrants once they are issued by courts.
