A RETIRED nurse who threw a glass that hit and injured a woman in a gay bar has been spared an assault conviction after paying compensation.

A gay man had insulted Paula Flood (50) for being straight when she “lashed out” and threw the glass, missing him but hitting the woman who was an “unintended target”.

Judge Ann Ryan applied the Probation Act, leaving her without a criminal record, after she paid €1,000 to the victim.

Flood pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the woman and producing a glass as a weapon in the course of a dispute at The George Bar on South Great George’s Street on February 7, 2015.

The case was heard previously by Judge Michael Walsh at Dublin District Court and came back before Judge Ann Ryan for finalisation.

The accused’s lawyer told Judge Ryan she had €1,000 in court and his understanding was she would be left without a conviction.

Flood had no previous convictions and had not come to the attention of gardai before or since, he said.

The judge applied the Probation Act.

Earlier, the court heard that Flood, of Whitechurch Drive, Rathfarnham, got into a row with a man, who walked away from her.

Flood threw a glass in his direction and missed him, instead hitting the victim in the back of the head. The woman fell to the ground and lost consciousness for a few moments.

She was taken to St James’s Hospital but had no obvious cuts to her head.

In a victim impact statement, she said she suffered concussion after the incident.

She had headaches, had difficulty concentrating at work and became forgetful.

What happened frightened her and she had to cut down on social events as a result.

She hated having people behind her and would now sit with her back to the wall.

Flood was “antagonised” by a man “for being a straight individual in a gay bar” when she lashed out, defence solicitor Michael French had said.

Flood was very remorseful, the court heard.

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