Donegal woman jailed for racial abuse of bus driver - Donegal Daily

A Donegal woman who has almost 100 previous convictions has been jailed for racially abusing a bus driver.Jennifer Ward appeared before Donegal District Court i...

A Donegal woman who has almost 100 previous convictions has been jailed for racially abusing a bus driver.

Jennifer Ward appeared before Donegal District Court in connection with the incident last month,

Ward, a 34-year-old, now with an address at Arus Breffni, Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, pleaded guilty to the offence. A native of Bundoran, Ward has also had an address at Burnside, Lower Main Street, Letterkenny.

Ward, who appeared via videolink from the Dóchas Centre women’s prison in Dublin where she is serving a sentence, pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in a public place aggravated by hatred at Markievicz Road, Sligo, on July 18, 2026. The offence is contrary to section 6 (a) of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994.

Sergeant Oliver Devaney told the court that Ward had failed to pay a fare on the bus. When Gardai arrived, they found Ward intoxicated and being abusive to the driver, a non-Irish national.

Judge Ciaran Liddy asked about the nature of the comments. Sergeant Devaney informed the court that there were “racial remarks” made after Ward refused to get off the bus.

“They were of a racial, discriminatory nature,” Sergeant Devaney said.

Ward faced a further charge of being intoxicated in a public place on the same date.

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The defendant was also charged with the theft of €30 worth of alcohol, including two bottles of wine and four cans of West Coast Cooler, from Mace, Manorhamilton, while she faced a further charge of failing to turn up for a court appearance.

Ward’s solicitor, Mr Gerry McGovern, was present in court, but explained that due to the ongoing industrial dispute he could not speak on her behalf.

Addressing Judge Liddy, Ward said that she had just signed herself out of hospital on the day in question.

“I am not well with my mental health,” Ward said. “I just got out of hospital and I was looking for a way home. I am very, very sorry about it. I know it is no excuse, but that was the day I signed myself out.”

Judge Liddy sentenced Ward to three months in prison for the incident involving the bus driver. That sentence is to commence on the expiration of her current sentence.

Ward was sentenced to one month in prison for the theft matter and one month for failing to appear. The public intoxication charge was marked as taken into consideration by Judge Liddy.

Recognisance, in the event of an appeal, was fixed at Ward’s own bond of €250, with a cash lodgement of €200.