A 16-year-old girl reportedly assaulted a woman by striking her head with an iron bar 11 times, as revealed during a special weekend court session. According to investigating officers at Limerick District Court, the teenager exhibited amusement when presented with a photo of Scarlett Faulkner, 29, who sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Scarlett Faulkner, a member of a Traveller family residing in Longpavement, Limerick, was discovered with critical head trauma alongside the R494 road near Birdhill, Co Tipperary, on Saturday, March 21. The teenager, apprehended on Thursday in connection with the attack, appeared in court on Saturday evening facing charges of assault causing serious harm.
Another woman, aged 40, also appeared in court, facing multiple charges related to the assault, including violent disorder, reckless endangerment, and burglary. Judge Carol Anne Coolican imposed reporting restrictions to prevent the public disclosure of their identities.
Gardaí informed the court that authorities from East Clare and North Tipperary divisions responded to a violent assault report near Birdhill on March 21. Scarlett Faulkner was airlifted to University Hospital Limerick and later transferred to Cork University Hospital, where she is in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.
During contested bail hearings for the two accused females, it was disclosed that prior to the assault on Ms Faulkner, the adult defendant burglarized and vandalized a caravan, with the teenage girl filming the incident. Allegations suggest that the woman chased Ms Faulkner and a male companion in a van for 24 hours before ramming their vehicle on the R494, compelling it to stop. Evidence from dashcams and CCTV footage supported these claims.
Following the collision, Ms Faulkner fled from the van and was pursued by the teenage girl, who allegedly attacked her with the iron bar, striking her head at least 11 times while she was on the roadside. Gardaí described the attack as “callous” and noted that the teenager displayed a lack of empathy by laughing at a photo of the injured woman.
According to authorities, another individual at the scene recorded the assault on a mobile phone, and after the attack, the accused girl purportedly threw the iron bar at Ms Faulkner’s male companion. Both accused individuals remained silent during the court proceedings, with tight security in place and a strong police presence.
Despite objections from the gardaí, bail was denied for both accused due to concerns about potential further offenses or non-compliance with bail conditions. The judge emphasized the presumption of innocence for each defendant. The teenage girl was remanded to a youth detention center, while the woman was remanded to a prison. Both are scheduled to appear via videolink at Tipperary District Court in Thurles on April 1.
