Courts

Former Sinn Féin councillor fined €500 over dispute with next-door neighbour

Melissa O’Neill (51) of Ferrybank, Co Waterford, was convicted of a public order offence

Melissa O'Neill engaged in a row with her neighbour over a motorbike he was selling, the court heard

Darren Skelton
Tue Oct 18 2022 - 19:45

A former Sinn Féin councillor and Irish Freedom Party candidate was convicted and fined €500 in Waterford District Court this week over a public order offence arising from a dispute with her next-door neighbour.

Melissa O’Neill (51), of Abbeylands, Ferrybank, Co Waterford, had pleaded not guilty to two charges, relating to public order and assault of her neighbour John Noonan. The assault charge was dismissed.

Mr Noonan was also charged with a public order offence, which was dismissed.

In Mr Noonan’s statement to gardaí, read by his solicitor Hilary Delahunty, he said he was selling a motorbike on August 13th, 2019 and some men had come from Tipperary to look at it. He said that he moved the bike out of his garden so as to not make noise and cause issue with his neighbour.

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He said that when he moved the bike three houses down, he proceeded to turn it on when “all of a sudden he felt a slap at the side of his face”.

He said he turned around and saw Ms O’Neill throwing a yellow vest and shouting “put a f**king yellow vest on when you’re riding a bike”.

Mr Noonan said he shouted back, saying “what the f**k are you on about, you’re drunk, go back into your house”. He said that he then walked up to her garden and threw the vest into Ms O’Neill’s garden.

Garda Ross Kiely arrived on the scene at 11.05pm and told the court that Ms O’Neill “appeared to be under the influence of some form of intoxicant but was not a danger to herself or others at the time”. He said that she was holding a phone in his face, recording everything he was saying and doing.

Representing herself, Ms O’Neill denied being “under the influence” and told the judge that she had been in bed before the incident occurred and that she was “four-time cancer diagnosed”.

According to Ms O’Neill’s statement, she was awoken by her 19-year-old son Shane – who also gave evidence at the hearing – complaining of noise outside the house. Ms O’Neill alleges that she went outside and witnessed Mr Noonan and his son going up the footpath, initially walking the motorcycle, but then driving it without the use of a helmet or a high-vis vest.

Ms O’Neill said she told her neighbour: “John, if you’re going to be riding a motorbike on the path, at least wear a high-vis”. She said that she went to hand a vest to him and it fell on the path. Ms O’Neill claimed that Mr Noonan was himself “under the influence” and was calling her names and abusing her.

Delivering sentence, Judge Kevin Staunton described the actions of both parties as appalling.

“What an awful environment to live in, with neighbours who clearly can’t stand each other,” he said. “Their interactions with each other are appalling.”

Judge Staunton dismissed the case against Mr Noonan.

Regarding Ms O’Neill, he accepted that she “may have reason on occasion to be very annoyed and frustrated with the antics of the people beside her who make a lot of noise”.

The judge dismissed the assault charge against Ms O’Neill but convicted her of using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and imposed a fine of €500.

Ms O’Neill told the court she would be appealing the sentence.

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