Woman (22) called garda a c**t and told him 'you’d do better going back to Harvey Norman’

Shannon Quaid (22) denied verbally abusing Garda Stephen Murphy, but admitted she told him “you’d do better going back to Harvey Norman than harassing young uns”.

She claimed Gda Murphy was verbally abusive towards her, asking her how she could afford her car and if it had been bought with her partner’s drug dealing money.

Judge Dermot Dempsey convicted and fined Quaid €300.

The defendant, of Bath Road in Balbriggan, was found guilty of threatening and abusive behaviour at Lambeecher in Balbriggan on June 18.

Gda Murphy told Swords District Court he stopped a vehicle shortly before 8pm. Quaid, who was with her sister and children, became abusive towards him as she walked away, calling him a “fag**ty c**t”, and asking “How was Harvey Norman?”

Gda Murphy said he previously worked in the store.

Quaid alleged she told Gda Murphy he’d do better working in Harvey Norman than harassing young women.

She denied calling him a “c**t”, saying she “never used that word in my life”.

Finding her guilty, Judge Dempsey said Quaid was clearly abusive to the garda.

Defence lawyer Deirdre Flannery said Quaid did not accept the abusive comments, but she regretted the entire conversation.