Cleaner fined for assault on Garda

A hospital cleaner has been fined €400 and convicted of assault after her attack on a female Garda.

Mother of three, Vivienne Mills was convicted and fined for assaulting a female Garda during an altercation at St. Teresa’s Gardens, Dublin 8.

The assault, which took place on 10 July 2012 followed a situation where gardaí were forced to call for backup. Vivienne Mills slapped the garda in the face when she saw that they were trying to arrest the father of her children.

Garda Colleen Gallagher told the District Court that she was on duty with Garda David Naughten at the inner city complex on 10 July 2012. They noticed a youth on a bike and a man on foot. When they proceeded to stop the pair, the man on foot fled.

They were not familiar with the pair on the night of the incident, but they now know that the man who fled was Mill’s partner, Francis Daly. Both Garda Gallagher and Garda Naughten followed Daly up the stairs of a complex block, catching up with him on the second floor balcony.

Garda Gallagher said that Daly became verbally abusive and they proceeded to arrest him. During this time, ten people gathered around them and it was a “manic situation”.

Mills said in her statement that she had been in the pub prior to the incident. She went to speak with a friend and was informed that the Garda were trying to arrest her partner.

Garda Gallagher said that Mills came up the stairs shouting abuse at her and Garda Naughten. “Get away from him, get your hands off him,” she said.

When Mills continued to shout, Garda Gallagher put her arm out to block her passage. “She stuck out at myself with her hand and struck me in the face” Garda Gallagher said.

The accused lashed out violently at both gardaí and struggled as they tried to arrest her. It was then that urgent assistance was called. Mills was then restrained in the patrol car as she was brought to Kilmainham Garda Station.

Mills denied assault and said she only begun to verbally abuse Garda Gallagher when she refused to let her pass and merely “tipped off” the Garda when trying to pass under her arm.

Judge Michael Walsh said he had no doubt the defendant had stuck the garda. Mills admitted charges of Garda obstruction and causing a breach of the peace.