Wexford woman jailed for her role in violent Main Street assault

Judge Cormac Quinn conducted a sentencing hearing in the case of Megan Gilliland. The 23-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was given an 18 month sentence, the final 12 months suspended.

The address of the accused appeared in court paperwork as Ozanam House, a hostel for homeless people. Her grandmother told the hearing that she could not offer accommodation to her grandchild.

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The prosecution arose out of events at the Bullring in Wexford Town on March 14, 2023. Ms Gilliland and two male acquaintances were involved in a disturbance on the afternoon in question.

The incident led to one of the men receiving a jail sentence, with proceedings pending against the second.

During the disturbance a man called Piotr Czarnecki was assaulted. In court investigating Detective Garda Pat O’Brien accepted that the men were “more centrally involved” in what occurred than the accused.

However, after examining mobile phone videos shot by members of the public, he reported that Ms Gilliland had a bottle in her hand at one stage. She was seen striking downwards with the bottle, though Garda O’Brien was unable to say whether or not she connected with Czarnecki.

Shopkeepers were among those who tried to stop the row and she ended up in the premises of John Glover. The accused told him that she had been struck on her head and wrist.

Ms Gilliland was brought to court for the hearing escorted by prison officers. Defending barrister Ross Pratt O’Brien explained that she was being detained on other matters in the Dochas Centre.

He stated that his client, mother of a three-year-old child, was in a relationship with one of the two males at the time of the offence last year. She divided her time then between the Ozanam House hostel in Thomas Street and a tent on the beach.

The judge learned that her child was now in the care of the grandmother, who resides in Rosslare.

Ms Gilliland had been unable to raise bail, reported Mr Pratt O’Brien, after she was charged with shoplifting offences. The defendant had no previous convictions and counsel said that prison had come as a huge shock to her

She had no contact with her father or her mother, or with her sisters living in the UK.

Judge Quinn wondered whether it was possible that she could reside with the grandmother once released from custody.

The older woman arrived in court and introduced herself as Anne French. She said that she would like to have her granddaughter home with her to raise her daughter. However, she was concerned that Megan had not gone into rehab.

She was also worried that her granddaughter was corresponding from Dochas with someone she described as a “drug person”.

“She cannot stay with me,” concluded Ms French. “She needs to go into rehab and stay away from people who take drugs.”

Judge McCourt recorded the 18-month prison sentence but suspended the final year of the term.

He bound Ms Gilliland to the peace and put her on probation for the year following her release from custody.