Grandmother expected to remain in jail over Christmas for failure to wear masks in-store

Six-month sentence handed out by Judge James McNulty

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Margaret Buttimer, a 66-year-old grandmother, is expected to remain in jail over Christmas, following multiple convictions for failing to wear a mask in shops.

Judge James McNulty handed out a six-month sentence, criticizing Buttimer for her “wilful disregards for others”.

She appeared before Bandon District Court last Thursday after entering a not guilty plea regarding not wearing a mask upon entering Jakes Restaurant on 17 November.

The judge heard Ms Buttimer refused to leave the restaurant despite a senior staff member requesting that she do so 15 times. Instead, she waited at the counter for gardai to arrive. The guards then asked her to either put on a mask or leave the premises but she refused to do both.

The Irish Times reports Judge James McNulty has heard several of the cases against Ms Buttimer for not wearing masks in stores. Without convictions until the pandemic hit, both Judge James McNulty and his colleague Judge Colm Roberts have expressed their inability to understand the offending behaviour of Ms Buttimer who has been described as an otherwise “pleasant” woman who had lived an “unblemished” life.

In response to questions about her behaviour, Ms Buttimer – who has been before the courts over eight times since last May – previously told the court that she is unsure of the efficacy of masks and uncertain if Covid actually exists. On one occassion, she told a store manager that she was “only answerable to God”.

Describing it as a “sad and perplexing case”, Judge McNulty said he was frustrated by Ms Buttimer’s “absurd selfishness”.

Ms Buttimer was sentenced to six months in prison in relation to the earlier offence, and another six month sentence was imposed, this time suspended, for the offence in Bandon, on conditions including that she does not enter any retail or places of public resort without a mask. A sum of €500 previously posted for bail was forfeited.

Recognisance for appeal was set on her own bond of €1,000, no cash required, as well as an independent surety of €3,000, one-third in cash. Leaving in a prison van, Ms Buttimer is expected to spend the Christmas period in custody. She now has a total of eight convictions which relate to not wearing a mask in shops or restaurants during the pandemic.

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