Suspended sentence for young mother found drunk and stopping traffic

A YOUNG mother who was found drunk and shouting and roaring in the street on two occasions in Tuam has been warned she will go to jail the next time it happens. Lisa Coen (22), Killmore, Barnaderg, admitted the offences and was given a one-month sentence, suspended for two years. Earlier this month she came to the attention of the Gardai as she left a pub on High Street in the early hours of the morning. Tuam District Court was told that the defendant was shouting and roaring and went up to the Gardai who were in the area.[private] She began to stop vehicles while standing in the middle of the street. Gardai had to remove her from the road when she refused to get out of the way of a WestDoc jeep that had its lights flashing and couldn't pass. Inspector Michael O'Dwyer said Lisa Coen was instructed to go home but when the Gardai returned a short time later the young woman was trying to go back out on to the street, and was arrested. The 22-year-old defendant came to the notice of Gardai again on June 8 when they received reports of a disturance on Dublin Road, Tuam at 5 am. Lisa Coen was on the road shouting and roaring, and was highly intoxicated. She was aggressive and abusive and tried to hit one of the Gardaí before she was arrested. Solicitor Catherine Hughes (defending) said her client had recently had a baby and was suffering from postnatal depression. She had been referred to Toghermore House for further care. She said the woman was very drunk on both occasions and she was going through a bad time at the moment and the father of her child wasn't supporting her. An irate Judge Geoffrey Browne said the young mother took no responsibility for her actions and asked who was minding the baby while she was out. He was informed that the woman's father was. 'Always the poor father,' remarked the Judge, who described Coen as 'a pain in the neck'. When the solicitor said her client didn't know what she was doing because she was so drunk Judge Browne advised 'then it's time for her to stop drinking'. 'The next time I see her before me, she will go away. It's time she got manners,' added the Judge, saying it was disgraceful behaviour. [/private]