A WOMAN charged with breaching Covid-19 regulations has appeared in court again over another alleged party at her house.
Sinead Corrigan, 46, of Dillon Court, Strabane, was charged after police were called to her home on Monday morning.
A second woman, Antoinette Lindsay, 35, of Patrick Street, Strabane, was also charged having been found on the premises.
A judge said Ms Corrigan “couldn’t care less about restrictions”.
Both women were re-admitted to bail at Enniskillen Magistrates’ Court (picture above).
Exactly a week ago, Ms Corrigan became the first person in the North of Ireland to be charged with breaching health and protection coronavirus regulations.
She was also accused of failing to comply with a prohibition notice.
Prior to this she had been served with two prohibition notices for holding house parties, telling police at the time that she “didn’t care about the regulations and would continue to party as she wished”.
Under Covid legalisation, such offences carry only monetary penalties.
Police objected to bail at Enniskillen Magistrate’s Court but the judge said “they’ll need to think of a new offence”.
Both women appeared separately by video-link, where Ms Corrigan spoke only to confirm she understood the charges.
Ms Lindsay, however, became extremely agitated claiming: “I was only there because I was being harassed by paedophiles who threatened to come and get me.”
She too has been given prohibition notices recently and is now accused of contravening Covid regulations on October 12.
In a hearing last week, police raised concerns over Ms Corrigan’s behaviour, which the court was told has been causing other residents in her area ongoing distress and disruption.
She was released but found herself back in court within days for allegedly breaching bail conditions, but was again freed with a warning.
A defence lawyer has already entered guilty pleas on Ms Corrigan’s behalf, but these cannot be accepted at present as the matters are handled by a separate unit within the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
On learning this, the judge said that “we’re going round in circles”.
While conceding this was Ms Corrigan’s second breach, the defence stated: “I don’t believe my client can be remanded in custody on a fine-only offence.”
The judge said: “She can be made subject to bail and lifted if it’s breached.
“She made it clear she has no intentions of behaving in a responsible way like everyone else is required to.
“She couldn’t care less about Covid restrictions.”
Ms Corrigan was released again on £500 bail and ordered to reside at an address approved by police, observe a curfew from 11 pm to 7 am and banned from possessing or consuming alcohol.
The judge refused a police suggestion to make the Covid regulations part of bail, stating that “would be like including a condition not to break the law”.
A similar position applied in respect of Ms Lindsay with the judge setting identical terms to Ms Corrigan.
Both matters have been adjourned for mention at Strabane Magistrates’ Court later this month.
