This article is from page 19 of the 2009-07-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
A YOUNG mother who saw her baby being doused in petrol by a woman wielding a can of petrol says she can- not let her children out of her sight.
Mary Kelly, in her victim impact statement after Majella McCarthy was convicted of assault causing harm to her and her baby daughter Aisling, said the ordeal has greatly NOC Kerem ol
The baby was in the back seat of the car when the attack happened and Ms Kelly looked on in fear, before she herself was doused with petrol.
“It has had a big effect. We left home to go to the doctors that morn- ing. Apart from Aisling being sick, everything was fine. I can’t get into the car. I can’t go anywhere, not even next door, without putting on the central locking,” she said.
Just a few days after the petrol at- tack on her and her baby daughter, she said she had to change the car.
‘Every time I look around in the car all I could see was Ms McCarthy with a petrol can,” she said.
“My own doctor told me I need to talk to someone about it. I have two fabulous, gorgeous kids. I’m afraid to let them out of my sight.
‘I know we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. These things hap- pen, but we could be in the wrong place at the wrong time again. | know she didn’t set us on fire but these things can happen,” she said.
She said her baby daughter used to wake at night screaming “No, no, no, no,’ for a few nights after the at- tack. She said she was glad her baby was so young when the incident hap- pened as she was not old enough to understand what was going on.