Healthcare worker assaulted a girl in Laois

A healthcare worker handed over €2,000 for an assault on a girl in Laois last year. 

Sarah Guilfoyle (23) of 34 Roselawn, Harpurs Lane, Portlaoise, was accused of assault causing harm at Fairgreen, Portlaoise on August 30, 2024. 

Solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said his client had €2,000 in court along with a letter of apology to the injured party and a letter for the judge. He told the sitting of Portlaoise District Court that the woman had an “unblemished record heretofore” and was working as a healthcare worker. 

He said a woman had posted something offensive and his client felt very aggrieved and the injured party appears to have intervened. He said his client was deeply remorseful about the matter. He described the €2,000 donation as a tangible expression of that remorse.  

Mr Fitzgerald said his client had underlying health issues and had been deemed as being of low risk of reoffending. He asked the judge not to allow the matter to negatively impact on his client’s future. 

He said the woman was willing to gather more compensation and she had wished to engage in restorative justice but the injured party declined. 

Judge Susan Fay said “the victim was a child”. Mr Fitzgerald said “I think she was 17 at the time” and his client was oblivious to that fact when the offending occurred. 

Judge Fay read the victim impact statement and although it wasn’t read in court she noted the injured party had said that at a time when she should have been focused on school she was instead dealing with the trauma following the assault. 

“I want to reflect on this,” said Judge Fay, who adjourned the matter for a week for that purpose.