Girl (16) hit Scarlett Faulkner at least 11 times on head with a steel bar, gardaí tell court

A court heard on Saturday night that a 16-year-old girl allegedly struck Limerick woman Scarlett Faulkner 11 times on the head using an iron bar.

Investigating gardaí told a special sitting of Limerick District Court that the teenager later laughed when shown a photograph of Faulkner with serious injuries following the incident, reports Breaking News.

Scarlett Faulkner, aged in her late 20s and from a Traveller family in Longpavement, Limerick, was discovered by gardaí with critical head injuries at the roadside on the R494 near the village of Birdhill, Co Tipperary, on Saturday, March 21st.

The 16-year-old, who was arrested last Thursday in connection with the incident, appeared before the court charged with one count of assault causing serious harm to Faulkner, reports Breaking News.

A 40-year-old woman also appeared in court facing four charges linked to the alleged attack, including violent disorder, reckless endangerment and burglary.

Judge Carol Anne Coolican imposed reporting restrictions on both accused, meaning their identities cannot be disclosed, reports Breaking News.

Gardaí told the court that officers from the East Clare and north Tipperary divisions responded to reports of a serious assault near Birdhill on the afternoon in question.

They said Faulkner was airlifted from the scene to University Hospital Limerick before being transferred to Cork University Hospital, where she remained in a “critical condition” with ‘life threatening injuries”, reports Breaking News.

During contested bail hearings, gardaí alleged that prior to the assault, the adult accused had broken into and damaged a caravan, and that the teenage girl recorded that घटना.

They further claimed the woman had been searching for Faulkner for 24 hours before the alleged attack, reports Breaking News.

Gardaí told the court that in the lead-up to the incident, the accused woman drove a Volkswagen Touran carrying the teenage girl and others, overtaking several vehicles near Birdhill while pursuing a van carrying Faulkner and a man.

It was alleged that the पीछा continued for several miles before the woman rammed the van on the R494, forcing it to stop, reports Breaking News.

According to gardaí, dashcam and CCTV footage from vehicles and nearby cameras support these claims.

They said that after the collision, Faulkner exited the van and ran along the R494 towards a roundabout near Birdhill before being attacked, reports Breaking News.

Gardaí told the court that video footage shows the teenager getting out of the आरोपी woman’s car holding a weapon and chasing Faulkner.

They alleged the girl caught up with her and struck her at least 11 times on the head as she lay on the roadside, reports Breaking News.

“Each injury is sustained to the head. Eleven blows to the head can be observed on CCTV,” a garda told the court,

The officer described the alleged assault as “callous”, reports Breaking News.

The court heard that the girl showed a “complete lack of empathy” by laughing when shown an image of Faulkner at the scene by gardaí.

Gardaí also said they believe another युवा person present recorded the attack on a mobile phone, reports Breaking News.

It is further alleged that after the assault, the teenage girl threw the iron bar at the man who had been travelling with Faulkner.

The court was told, without dispute, that the girl said during interviews: “I followed her and I hit her a few times with the pole and that’s what happened.”, reports Breaking News.

Neither of the accused responded to the charges, the court heard.

Security at the special court sitting was tight, with access to the courthouse restricted, reports Breaking News.

A strong presence of both uniformed and plainclothes members of An Garda Síochána was in place during the bail hearings.

Lawyers representing both accused said their clients would comply with any bail conditions set by the court, reports Breaking News.

Gardaí opposed bail, arguing that both individuals posed a risk of committing further serious offences and would not adhere to any conditions.

Judge Coolican ruled that she was satisfied to deny bail to both accused, reports Breaking News.

The judge reminded the court that both individuals are entitled to a “presumption of innocence”.

She remanded the teenager to a youth detention centre and the woman to a remand prison, with both due to appear via video link before Tipperary District Court in Thurles on April 1st, reports Breaking News.

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