Woman (20s) accused of late night chip shop attack in Westmeath that left man with broken elbow

Gardaí received a call at about 2:30am on September 12 after a man went to a local chip shop in Athlone. The man stood outside to smoke when a woman unknown to him crossed the road and a verbal argument began. The State alleged the accused shoved him, causing him to stumble and fall into the takeaway door. The man suffered a broken elbow and additional tendon and ligament damage. He underwent surgery and had his elbow in a cast for six weeks. The accused remained silent at a brief hearing, and a disclosure order was made for relevant State evidence. She was remanded on bail for a further court appearance on June 3.

"Sgt Paul McNally, prosecuting, said the State's case hinged on a statement which had been provided by Ms Carroll's alleged male victim. He told of how gardaí received a call to attend the scene at around 2:30am after the man had gone to a local chip shop with his friend. A sitting of Athlone District Court was told as the man stood outside to have a cigarette, a woman "unknown to him", who the State claim was the accused, came across the road in a move that sparked a verbal argument between the pair."

"Sgt McNally said the upshot of that exchange resulted in the accused, of An Gort Fada, Ballinasloe, Galway, shoving the man, causing him to stumble back and fall into the door of the takeaway. The after effects of that struggle saw the man hit his elbow in such a fashion that it broke, consequently forcing him to undergo surgery. The court was told the man, in addition to the break, sustained tendon and ligament damage culminating in his elbow being left in a cast for six weeks."

"Having heard the State's evidence, Judge Deirdre Gearty accepted jurisdiction in the District Court. No plea or indication of one was entered on Ms Carroll's behalf as the accused remained silent throughout the brief five-minute hearing. A disclosure order in relation to all relevant state evidence linked to the case was made to defence solicitor Tony McLynn. Ms Carroll was remanded on bail ahead of a scheduled reappearance before the same court on June 3."

Read at Irish Independent