Woman threw pint at barman and hid drugs

A SUSPECTED 'madam' who is wanted here on charges of running brothels has been arrested on foot of a European Arrest Warrant in her native Hungary.

By Andrew Phelan

A WOMAN narrowly missed hitting a barman on the head with a pint of beer when she aimed it at him after he told her to leave because of her rowdy behaviour.

Painter-decorator Laura Langton (35) hurled the glass at the bar manager but missed and shattered a €150 bottle of whiskey.

She was given a five-month suspended sentence for criminal damage after Dublin District Court heard that if the manager had not ducked, the glass "certainly" would have hit him.

Langton, of Beechpark Wood, Leixlip, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to damaging the bottle of whiskey and causing a breach of the peace at Lotts Bar in Liffey Street.

She also admitted possession of PVP and cannabis that were found on her when she was taken to Store Street Garda Station.

Judge Bryan Smyth fined her €300 and suspended the sentence for a year.

Gda Laura Byrne told the court she arrested the defendant at the nearby Bachelor Inn at 2pm last February 15, having received a complaint from Lotts.

The court heard Langton had been drinking with four or five men and they had become "a little rowdy".

shaken

Staff asked them to leave and the men finished their drinks and did so. Langton tried to take a pint of beer with her and the bar manager went to take it from her.

She pulled the pint away, aimed it at the bar manager and threw it across the bar. The bar manager was unhurt but shaken.

The court heard the defendant left with the men and was followed by the manager.

She entered the Bachelor Inn where she went to the toilets and changed her jacket and T-shirt.

The manager pointed her out and, as the officer approached, Langton tried to conceal something in her trousers. This was PVP and cannabis was found in her handbag.

Langton had been upset about something on the day and went out drinking, her solicitor Kerrie O'Connor said.

Her behaviour was "quite unlike her" and she was ashamed of what had happened. She did not really remember the incident until she saw it on CCTV.

She apologised to the barman.

"I think the member of staff is very fortunate he was able to duck or she could have been facing a much more serious charge," Judge Smyth said.

hnews@herald.ie