Woman called care worker an ‘abuser’ and assaulted her, Carlow court heard
Carlow Courthouse Photo: Michael O'Rourke
A WOMAN who repeatedly called a care worker an “abuser” before poking her in the chest and grabbing both her arms on a Baltinglass street has been convicted of assault. Towards the end of the hearing, the defendant slammed her fists on the witness box and told her victim that she “should be ashamed” of herself.
Kathleen Doyle (66) Lathaleer, Baltinglass had pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault contrary to section 2 of the at Carlow District Court.
The injured party, Angie Kieran, told Judge John King that on 8 October 2025 she was working for KARE, an organisation that supports people with intellectual disabilities, and had brought a woman she has supported for more than seven years to a GP appointment in Baltinglass.
“We arrived at the doctor’s at 1pm and while we were sitting waiting, Kathleen arrived and stood in front of us,” she said. When her client was called in, Ms Doyle walked in ahead of them and said she was attending the appointment, too.
“The GP told her to leave and she refused. He said if she didn’t leave, he’d ring the guards, so then she did leave and we attended the appointment,” Ms Kieran said.
Ms Doyle was gone by the time they left, but as they walked back towards her client’s apartment, near the church, the defendant came down a laneway.
“When she saw me, she started shouting at me that I was an abuser,” Ms Kieran said, adding that her client, who uses a rollator, became “quite upset”. She said Ms Doyle got in front of her, poked her in the chest and again called her an abuser.
“She grabbed my right arm; when I tried to move the other way, she grabbed my left arm. I said I was going to call the guards and I did later on,” she said.
Her client had by then gone into a corner of the church car park and was “very upset”.
The defendant then followed the woman, shouting: “Don’t let them sign anything, don’t sign anything without me there.” “I don’t know what she was talking about,” said Ms Kieran.
Questioned by Insp Conor Nolan, she said Ms Doyle lived near her client, had “somehow become acquainted with her” and had “confronted me on several occasions before that, verbally, not physically”.
After the defendant walked away, Ms Kieran said she had to ring a colleague. “I couldn’t drive my car; I was shaking terribly.”
Defending, solicitor Joe Farrell said his client gave “a completely different version of events” and denied poking or grabbing Ms Kieran. He read from Ms Kieran’s own statement, in which she said she was not surprised to see Ms Doyle at the surgery “as it is also her GP”.
Asked whether the defendant was a friend of her client, Ms Kieran replied, “I’m sure she was,” adding that Ms Doyle had “tea at her house regularly”.
When Mr Farrell asked whether the defendant’s actions were “coming from a good place of care and worry”, Ms Kieran said: “I’d spoken to her several times and told her I wouldn’t under any circumstances discuss her case with her – that seemed to be her issue.”
She said the defendant claimed the woman had “vanished” and that she had been worried about her, but “she became so afraid that we had to seek alternative accommodation for her outside of Baltinglass”.
Garda McEvoy told the court that she had canvassed local businesses for CCTV, but the area where the alleged assault happened was not covered by cameras. She said Ms Kieran came into the station with a colleague at around 3pm that day and she took a detailed statement the following day.
The garda said she called to Ms Doyle’s home two or three times and left voicemails. When she did explain the allegation, the defendant “wouldn’t engage with me and told me to leave her property”.
“I got the impression she didn’t trust me,” she said, although she did not think Ms Doyle was afraid of her.
Mr Farrell asked why no statement had been taken from Ms Kieran’s client, whom, he said, would have witnessed the incident and whose evidence would be “vital to the case”.
Garda McEvoy said: “She was not fit to give a statement due to her intellectual disability. She is not non-verbal, but I didn’t ask for a statement as she is under the care of KARE Ireland.”
Insp Nolan said it was for the state to put forward whatever case it had and the state did not have to present that witness to the court.
Mr Farrell said the woman was “very much verbal and can speak” and that difficulty arose from the garda decision not to take a statement from a potential independent witness. Judge King said that while gardaí should have investigated, he would not go with Mr Farrell on the point.
Giving evidence, Ms Doyle described the woman under care as “a very special lady” that she met through her late brother, who was also a member of KARE. She said she had been at the GP’s “to get proof of a medical condition”.
As the defendant strayed off the topic of the alleged offence several times, Judge King told her: “Madam, listen to what your solicitor is saying.”
Asked whether she had assaulted Ms Kieran, Ms Doyle said: “I didn’t do any such thing. I’m sorry, judge, but this is how I phrase it – I’m pissed off,” as she glanced over at the injured party.
Asked if the woman under care could communicate, she said: “It takes time to understand how she pronounces her words. She’s able to say who she likes or doesn’t like and what she wants.”
“It’s shocking that someone in that position could come and say a thing like that,” she said about Ms Kieran, adding that the injured party “wasn’t trapped in any corner either”.
Under cross-examination, Insp Nolan asked why the injured party’s client had covered her ears during the incident. “I’m not sure, she was obviously distressed and doesn’t like people arguing,” said Ms Doyle.
Asked if the distress was caused by Ms Doyle shouting, she replied: “I wasn’t okay having no resolution and having her not get the attention she deserves.”
Turning to the injured party, Ms Doyle raised her voice: “I didn’t know why you’d say such a thing about me. So help me God, it’s disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself,” she shouted, before hitting her fists on the witness box.
Judge King said he was convicting Ms Doyle beyond reasonable doubt, adding that “the court has concerns about the presentation and insight of the accused”.
He directed a probation report and said a victim impact statement should be supplied. The case was adjourned to January, with the judge telling Mr Farrell: “Your client will co-operate with probation services.”
