Court hears of ‘vicious’ Milford attack

A woman fought back tears as she told a judge yesterday of a vicious attack by a teenage girl who only knew her to see and stole her handbag, mobile phone and passport.
29-year-old Sarah Kerr, said that she was set upon violently by 17-yearold Nicola McLaren in Main Street, Milford.
Ms Kerr told Glenties District Court that she was hit, kicked and on the ground screaming for help but nobody was there.
Her head was held against the window of a pub and she thought her head was going to go through the window.
Soon afterwards a person she knew intervened. Ms Kerr added that but for that she believed she would have been killed, probably murdered.
McLaren, now 21 and the mother of two children, one a four month-old baby, was arrested by gardai by arrangement at the border in Bridgend, a few hours before the court hearing after she was earlier arrested on a European warrant by the PSNI.
She admitted robbing Ms Kerr on June 15, 2008, of her handbag, mobile phone, Irish passport and €20 cash.
The court heard that since then she had a string of convictions in Northern Ireland, including for possession of offensive weapons and assault and had served a six-month jail term.
Judge Paul Kelly was told she carried out the Milford attack after drinking 12 bottles of Carlsberg.
Defence solicitor Patsy Gallagher said McLaren, now cared for with her four-month-old baby in a Derry shelter, was sorry for her “stupid, horrendous and unbelievable thuggery” committed in a very small County Donegal town when she was in addiction.
She came from a deprived background, had “a wake-up call” with her recently-served jail sentence, and was in counselling for her addiction..
Judge Kelly remanded McLaren, of Shepherd’s view, Derry, on bail to Letterkenny District Court on January 9 and ordered a Probation report which he was told the Republic’s Probation service will prepare in liaison with the Northern Ireland authorities.
© Highland Radio 2011