Woman jailed for beer bottle attack on former partner

A woman who went to her former partner’s home, hit him over the head with a beer bottle and also bit a woman on the arm has been jailed for four months.

Shannon McGurk, 23, of Clonmakane Court in Londonderry, admitted assaulting the man occasioning actual bodily harm, assaulting a woman, and causing criminal damage on 6 July last year.

Londonderry Magistrates’ Court was told on Friday that she arrived at the injured party’s home intoxicated in the early hours of the morning, demanding to see their child.

McGurk was said to have lifted a beer bottle and broke it over the man’s head, leaving a wound that needed glued together.

She also bit a woman who was in the house at the time on the arm and damaged furniture.

At interview, McGurk said she only had “a vague recollection” of the altercation.

Defence counsel Sinead Rogan said the defendant had a “traumatic background,” but the offence occurred more than a year ago and had not been repeated.

The barrister described it as a “very serious incident” but added that the defendant might benefit from external intervention.

District Judge Ted Magill said the defendant acted “wholly inappropriately” by going to her former partner’s home in the early hours of the morning on that date.

He said these were very serious offences that could easily have been referred to the crown court.