The vulnerable mum was “traumatized” after being “dragged barefoot in her pajamas” from her home on an expired TV license fine, reports The Mirror.
The 44-year-old’s sister, Natasha Douglas, hit Gardaí over the way they arrested her siblings and says the incident had a devastating effect on her.
The woman, who has mental health issues, was taken from her home and held in a district court cell for several hours.
But as soon as the case went to the judge later that afternoon, he immediately struck it out.
Natasha, from Shankhill in south Dublin, told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “hey dragged her down the front path in her bare feet and pyjama bottoms. It’s like something out of the dark ages, it’s shocking. My sister, with no criminal record, was hand- cuffed… She was confused and didn’t know what was going on. She does not have a TV or radio because of her mental health issues. Plus she’s on disability allowance so she is exempt from paying for a TV licence”.
An arrest warrant for her failure to appear in court – seen by this newspaper – was issued on May 30, 2022.
The woman’s son, Louis, left his workplace as soon as he learned of her arrest on July 13 to go in search of her.
Louis said: “I tried to explain that my mother wouldn’t be fit to sit in a cell. At 4.45pm, my mother emerged from the courtroom. She was extremely upset, in a complete trance. It took a few minutes for her to come back to us. She is now in the worst state my family and doctors have seen her. To be dragged from her house in her bare feet is outrageous… a vulnerable woman,” reports The Mirror.
“I had to spend the night in my mother’s home, she was in an awful state after the incident. She is now fearful that the gardai are going to come back and take her. I feel someone should be account- able for how my mother was treated and the impact it has had on her mental health, also the stress her family was put through,” he added, reports The Mirror.
A garda spokeswoman said An Garda Siochana does not comment on individual cases.
“A bench warrant is an order from the court to arrest a person and bring them before the court for failing to appear on previous occasions. The formal execution of a bench warrant by arresting the named person is necessary, where other options to execute a warrant by arrangement have been made and failed,” she said, reports The Mirror.
“It is a matter for the court how it subsequently deals with the specific charges before the court. An Garda Síochána is obliged to carry out its functions in a manner which is human rights compliant. She said gardai interact with thou- sands of persons, including persons with vulnerabilities on a daily basis. Garda members undertake to fulfil their duties and responsibilities with the utmost respect for the public and with particular attention for those that may be vulnerable,” she added, reports The Mirror.
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