Request for psychological assessment in case of Birdhill assault accused

A 40-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl appeared before a hearing of Tipperary District Court in Thurles on Wednesday morning April 1, charged in connection with a serious assault in Birdhill in county Tipperary, which left a young woman in a critical condition in hospital.

The case of both defendants was dealt with by Judge Marie Keane by video link from Limerick and Oberstown. In both cases, the defendants were remanded in detention (in the case of the younger defendant) and in custody in the case of the 40-year-old woman, to a sitting of Nenagh District Court on April 23.

The teenager, who cannot be identified due to her age, is charged with assault causing serious harm to 29-year-old Scarlett Faulkner on the side of the road near the village of Birdhill on March 21.

The woman, who also cannot be named by order of the court, faces four charges including violent disorder, reckless endangerment and two counts of burglary.

At the hearing in Thurles on Wednesday morning, Judge Keane dealt with the case of the teenage defendant first by video link from Oberstown.

Sgt Cathal Godfrey informed Judge Keane that he was applying for a further remand in detention to Nenagh on April 23 for directions from the DPP to be given.

Judge Keane asked the 16-year-old if she understood the application that was being made to the court to adjourn the case to April 23. The defendant said she agreed and consented to the adjournment.

Judge Keane directed that the hearing on that date in Nenagh would also be done by video link from Oberstown.

Mr John Herbert, solicitor for the defendant, applied for an extension of the legal aid certificate and also applied for a certificate to be granted for a psychological assessment to be carried out.

Judge Keane asked Mr Herbert if a person had been identified to carry out the psychological assessment and when told nobody had been identified yet, that they should be identified by the next hearing of the case in Nenagh.

Judge Keane granted approval for a certificate for psychological assessment and said the author of the assessment should be identified.

Dealing separately with the other defendant by a video link from Limerick, Judge Keane was informed by Sgt Cathal Godfrey that he was applying to have this matter also adjourned to Nenagh on April 23.

Solicitor Padraig Nesbitt informed the court that the adjournment was by consent.

When asked by Mr Nesbitt if the reporting restrictions still applied in the case, Judge Keane said the reporting restrictions had been imposed at an earlier hearing of the case, and no order had been made to change that, so those restrictions remained in place.

A previous court hearing was told that Ms Faulkner suffered extensive head injuries during the attack and she remains in a critical condition in hospital.

"There are grave concerns for her health,"a previous court hearing was told.