Mum-of-four dodges jail after kicking woman in head during All-Ireland celebrations
An Armagh GAA fan filmed kicking a woman to the head as she lay on the ground had been drinking after celebrating the county's All-Ireland win, a court has heard.
Mum-of-four Laura Rock said the drunken assault was the 'worst mistake of her life' as she was sentenced on two charges arising out of the incident last July.
The 32-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting a female occasioning her actual bodily harm and disorderly behaviour at William Street in Lurgan on the day the Orchard County lifted the Sam Maguire.
A report by Court News NI said her solicitor told Craigavon Magistrates Court Rock is 'extremely remorseful' with the incident set against the backdrop of Armagh winning the All-Ireland football final after which 'sense seemed to go out the window'.
'There was lots of revelry around the town.
'This lady, who very rarely drinks, saw this as an occasion to do so.
'There does appear to have been a lot of rowing in and around the area where this happened.'
He said Rock is a mother of four and she is 'absolutely mortified' at what she has done.
Deputy District Judge Gerard Trainor said the victim was 'innocently going home' and 'she can only tell what happened to her because someone filmed it'.
He said the video shows the female 'on the ground being kicked in the head by Laura Rock'.
The woman suffered a black eye, a 'deep laceration' to her leg, cuts inside her ears, bruising to her elbow and had 'clumps of hair pulled out'.
Rock's solicitor admitted 'that is not right' and said 'the injured party has no recollection of what happened' and that the prosecution say his client had delivered 'one kick'.
Judge Trainor said the defendant had a record for inflicting actual bodily harm committed when she was younger.
He also noted she had pleaded guilty to the offences before the court and was 'contrite'.
Laura Rock speaks to the Sunday Life reporter from a bedroom window
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 1st
'To inflict these injuries on an innocent person on a public street, the excuse of having drink and all the rest of it is no excuse,' he said.
'To lift your hand to someone else is one thing, to kick them is quite another, neither of which is acceptable but the latter is quite reprehensible.'
Rock was given a three-month jail term, suspended for two years, and fined £200.
When Sunday Life contacted Rock at her home in Lurgan, she said it was the worst mistake she had made and would never be in trouble again.
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