‘Go back to your banana boat’ woman told Kilkenny taxi driver

Calling a taxi driver a “dirty n****r” and using other abusive terms towards him has resulted in a conviction for public order offences for a woman at Kilkenny District Court.

Josephine Harty, 1 Loreto Lodge, Freshford Road, Kilkenny, pleaded guilty to two charges - using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour and failing to comply with the directions of a garda.

Sergeant Morgan O’Connor told the court that on January 28 last gardaí observed a dispute between a woman and a taxi driver on Barrack Street, Kilkenny.

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The woman said the taxi driver had refused to take a fare from her and spat at her.

Ms Harty called the man names, screamed at him that he as a “dirty n****r” and to “go back to your own country.” She also told him to “go back to your banana boat.”
CCTV showed the taxi driver did not spit at Ms Harty.

Solicitor Chris Hogan said it was ‘absolutely’ accepted that what Ms Harty said to the taxi driver was “disgraceful.” She is remorseful, he said. She pleaded guilty and accepted responsibility for her behaviour.

Mr Hogan said his client accepted she had a difficulty with alcohol and realises the difficulties this is causing. She has since had an ‘alcohol blocker’ inserted under her skin and hasn’t gotten into any trouble since.
This was a ‘once off’ incident, Mr Hogan said and Ms Harty had asked him to apologise on her behalf, in court.

Judge Geraldine Carthy convicted Ms Harty of failing to comply with the directions of a garda, with the other charge taken into consideration. She imposed a five month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months on condition Ms Harty engage with the Probation Service and attend all therapeutic appointments offered, which she said she hoped would keep Ms Harty ‘on the straight and narrow.’