TWO REMANDED 

Psychological exam scheduled for girl, 16, who allegedly struck Scarlett Faulkner 11 times with iron bar, court told

A PSYCHOLOGICAL evaluation is to be carried out on a teenage girl charged over the alleged fatal assault of Scarlett Faulkner, a court heard.

The accused girl, 16, is charged with assault causing serious harm to Ms Faulkner, 29, at the R494 Birdhill, Co Tipperary, on March 21 last.

The girl appeared before Nenagh District Court this Thursday morning via a video-link from a youth detention centre.

She did not speak other than to indicate that she could hear and see the proceedings.

The girl’s solicitor, Turlough Herbert, of Herbert & Co Sols, Limerick, indicated that a psychological assessment of the girl was being scheduled while she was being detained on remand.

Mr Herbert said: “In respect of the psychological evaluation, we have that matter in hand.”

A co-accused, a forty-year-old woman, also appeared on remand before the court via video link, from Limerick Prison.

The woman, who was represented by solicitor Pauric Nesbit, of Darach McCarthy Sols & Co, Limerick, spoke only to confirm she could hear and see the proceedings.

Neither accused can be named because of reporting restrictions imposed by a judge last month.

Nenagh District Court Judge Fiona Brennan granted an application by prosecuting Gardai, with the consent of solicitors for both accused females, for a four-week adjournment.

The judge said reporting restrictions that were previously imposed remain in place.

The judge remanded the two accused in continuing custody to appear before Nenagh District Court for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions, on May 15.

Gardai previously alleged in court that the accused girl struck Ms Faulkner at least eleven times on the head with an iron bar.

Gardai told Limerick District Court last month that they responded to a report of a violent assault near Birdhill on the afternoon in question, and they found Ms Faulkner with critical head injuries lying on the R494.

They said Ms Faulkner was airlifted from the scene to University Hospital Limerick and later transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Ms Faulkner later died from her injuries on April 13 after her life support was turned off at CUH the previous day

She was laid to rest last Friday.