Woman, girl, charged over Birdhill serious assault

A 40-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl have appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court charged in connection with a serious assault in Co Tipperary last weekend, which left a young woman in a critical condition in hospital. The teenager, who cannot be identified due to her age, is charged with assault causing serious harm to 29-year-old Scarlett Faulkner on the side of the road near the village of Birdhill last Saturday. Detective Garda Andrea Coonan from Thurles Garda Station gave evidence of formally arresting and charging the teenager, who said she understood the charges when cautioned yesterday. The 40-year old woman, who also cannot be named by order of the court, faces four charges including violent disorder, reckless endangerment and two counts of burglary during what the court heard was 24 hours of serious violent offences. Garda Séamus Kelly from Nenagh Garda Station told the court the woman made no reply when charged and cautioned. Gardaí objected to bail given the serious nature of the charges and the potential for feud activity to occur. The court was told it was the 40-year-old accused who instigated the mellée that unfolded in Birdhill. During the bail hearing, the court heard the accused was driving a car in pursuit of a silver van in which Ms Faulkner was a passenger, for a number of miles in the vicinity of Birdhill on the afternoon of 21 March. She made a number of attempts to overtake the van before ramming the vehicle off the road on the R494 which links the M7 motorway with Birdhill and south east Clare. The court heard a number of people alighted from the car and chased Ms Faulkner in the direction of Birdhill roundabout, including the accused teenage girl who allegedly hit Ms Faulkner over the head 11 times with an iron bar. Detective Garda Coonan said Ms Faulkner suffered extensive head injuries during the attack and she remains in a critical condition in hospital. "There are grave concerns for her health," she said. The detective said the accused had shown a blatant disregard for the injured party during what she described as callous assault. Judge Carol Anne Coolican refused both defendants bail given the serious nature of the charges against them. She remanded the teenage girl in detention and the woman in custody to appear before Tipperary District Court sitting in Thurles via videolink on 1 April.