Community Service sentence for Ahern's 'cream pie' attacker (from RTE)

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday November 21, 2002 16:51 by Paul O'Donnell

Judge Oliver McGuinness seems to think that Bertie Ahern represents "democracy and society". Go back to your Ivory Tower Ollie! Well done Bairbre.

Community service for Ahern cream pie attacker

November 21, 2002

(15:28) A 27-year-old woman who threw a cream pie at the Taoiseach before the General Election has agreed to do community service rather than go to jail.

Bairbre Flood, of Ballinacarrow, County Sligo, pleaded guilty to a public order offence after she struck Mr Ahern with a pie in Sligo town last April.

Her solicitor said she was frustrated with politicians in general and had no specific agenda against Bertie Ahern or Fianna Fáil.

Judge Oliver McGuinness said this was no run of the mill public order offence. He said it was premeditated and an attack on democracy and society.

The Judge said it was a calculated effort to insult and demean and embarrass in the full glare of all the attendant publicity.

Judge McGuinness said the jail would be an appropriate punishment for such an offence, as well sending out a message to anybody considering a similar thing.

He said, however, that he would give Ms Flood the alternative of community service and the opportunity to put something back in to society. Ms Flood agreed to community service and she was remanded on continuing bail until 19 December for a community service report.