💾 Archived View for eir.mooo.com › nuacht › doi169583220818.gmi captured on 2023-09-28 at 16:29:49. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Orla Mullan, 27 Sep
A Ballykelly woman who subjected three teenage girls to sectarian abuse
has been told by a judge that her behaviour was 'disgraceful'.
[INS: :INS]
Kelli Moore, of Churchill Road, appeared before Limavady Magistrates
Court, sitting in Coleraine Courthouse, this morning for sentencing
having previously been convicted of seven offences.
The 30 year-old was charged with three counts of harassment and three
counts of common assault.
The victims in the case were three girls, aged between 13 years-old and
14 years-old.
Moore was further charged with disorderly behaviour.
All offences were committed on dates between October 26 and November 7
2022.
The court heard that some of the offences first came to light on
October 26 last year after police received a report from a staff member
at St Mary's High School in Limavady who stated that three young pupils
at the school had been victims of sectarian abuse from a female adult.
Police spoke to the three children and one of them stated that she had
been sitting at the bus stop at Clooney Road, Ballykelly earlier that
morning when Moore walked past with a young boy and spat on her shoe.
The young girl said Moore got on a bus and make a 'w***er sign' out the
window towards her.
The young girls also stated that they were sitting at the bus stop on a
different date when Moore walked by staring at them.
The girls said Moore shouted at one of them: “Do you have a staring
problem, you fenian b*****d?”
The court heard that Moore continued to be abusive towards the girls
and left them crying.
After being identified via a VIPER procedure, Moore was interviewed.
She admitted being at the bus stop on the dates in question however she
denied the offences.
The court heard following this, the girls saw Moore on a third date,
during which she gave the fingers to them.
District Judge Peter King said the fact that Moore has an 11 year-old
son made her behaviour towards the young girls 'even more
inexplicable'.
Defence barrister Stephen Chapman said Moore's behaviour was 'not
acceptable' and asked the judge to consider not imposing an immediate
custodial sentence.
Addressing Moore, District Judge Peter King told her the behaviour
complained of was 'disgraceful'.
He said the language she used 'indicated a sectarian animus' adding
'the fact that it was directed at children who are 13 and 14 beggars
belief'.
Judge King went on to say that the three children 'were completely and
utterly blameless and were victimised' by an adult who is also a mother
herself.
He told Moore that the impact of her behaviour on the children was
evident by the victim impact reports which were before him.
In order to 'protect' the three children, Judge King told Moore that he
was imposing restraining orders which prohibit her from contacting the
victims for the next three years.
In addition, Judge King imposed an enhanced combination order of two
years' probation and 180 hours community service.
The judge warned Moore if she breached any of the orders imposed by the
court, she would face a prison sentence.