garda obstruction Woman receives fine after throwing away bag and attempting to discard phone outside Dublin prison

A young woman was arrested for Garda obstruction after she threw away a bag and tried to discard a mobile phone outside a Dublin prison.

Jodie Keegan (21) was seen walking across wasteground near her home towards Wheatfield jail and tried to pull away from arresting gardaí.

Judge David McHugh fined her €100 after hearing she was with someone else at the time and was easily influenced.

Keegan, with an address at Cherryorchard Green, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty.

Blanchardstown District Court heard gardaí on patrol at Cherryorchard Green saw the accused walking across wasteground towards the prison.

When they approached, Keegan fled and discarded a bag.

Vulnerable

She then tried to get rid of a mobile phone and pulled away from gardaí when they stopped her.

She had no previous convictions.

The accused was a "vulnerable lady" who had been in the presence of someone else at the time of the offence, her solicitor Lorraine Stephens said.

This person managed to leave the field before gardaí arrived, she said.

The accused, who had left school before her Leaving Cert, "would be subject to influence very easily," Ms Stephens said.

The judge said having heard the facts, he would take it as being "nothing more or less" than discarding the bag.

However, he said he regarded the charge as "significant" and fined and convicted the accused.

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