Castledawson woman sentenced for ‘outrageous’ incident in which school children were assaulted
A drunk woman who chased school children about the street and assaulted three of them in Magherafelt, was given a three-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, at the local Magistrates Court on Wednesday
District Judge Conor Heaney described it as an outrageous incident aggravated by the involvement of children, and for which there was no rationale to explain the defendant’s behaviour.
Sentencing 41-year-old Kwatinobva Ludwick, of Park View, Castledawson, on three counts of common assault and one of disorderly behaviour, the judge warned her that if she breached the court order she would go to jail.
The court heard at 3.30pm on January 22 last year, police were called to attend a report of a drunk woman chasing and trying to catch children at Rainey Street.
Prosecuting counsel said the defendant slapped one child on the face and got on a bus where she pushed another on the left side of the face causing her pain, and hit a boy on the back. The lawyer said the defendant was removed from the bus by the driver.
When police arrived she said to one: “Are you lifting me you c**t”, and called officers “f**king b**tards”, said counsel, who added that Ludwick later gave a ‘no comment interview.
A defence lawyer said what happened was serious and had an impact on minors.
She stressed that Ludwick was ashamed and sorrowful for what had happened.
Counsel explained the no comment interview was not intentional, as the defendant did not have any memory of the occasion due to her level of intoxication.
Pleading with the court not to impose a custodial sentence, the lawyer said the defendant has a number of medical conditions and significant mental health issues.
She pointed out that solvent abuse issues have been behind her previous offences.
Continuing, the lawyer asked the court to take into consideration that the defendant has managed to keep out of trouble since the incident and has engaged with her GP.
She accepted that this was quite a serious offence in that members of the community were impacted.
"She is very fearful of a custodial sentence given her medical conditions and a suspended sentence would have a deterrent effect,” the lawyer added.