A woman who became involved in a violent incident in a pet shop after her brother got into a dispute about a parking space has been spared jail.

Vicky Dempsey (34), a mother-of-one whose husband is in prison, dragged a woman backwards by her hair as the woman's partner was attacked.

Dempsey, of Stannaway Road, Crumlin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder at Purrrfect Pets, Longmile Road on February 5, 2011. She has 12 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring today sentenced her to two years in prison but suspended it in full.

Her brother Karl Dempsey (36), also of Stannaway Road, has also pleaded guilty to violent disorder on the same occasion and is due for sentence later this year when full facts will be heard in his case.

Judge Ring accepted that Ms Dempsey had acted on impulse and was extremely sorry for what she had done.

She ordered Ms Dempsey to comply with Probation Services for 12 months and follow any directions in relation to education and training.

Garda Darren Coller told Elva Duffy BL, prosecuting, that Karl and another man had been involved in a dispute in the car park outside the pet shop with Mark Eagers who sustained injuries during an altercation.

Vicky Dempsey was not involved in the incident at that earlier stage in the car park.

Mr Eagers rang gardaí and went into the pet shop to wait. He had his phone out and was making a call when he was attacked inside the shop. He was hit into the nose and stamped and kicked. He suffered a broken nose and damage to his hand.

His partner, Lasra Long, said she was pulled backwards by her hair and shoved, causing her to fall into a door frame. She looked up and saw a girl had her by the hair.

Ms Long said the woman told her, "Leave him, he is getting what he deserves." She saw two men at her partner. She was screaming and as the three people left she saw a pool of blood.

CCTV shows two men assaulting Mr Eagers who was knocked to the ground. Ms Long tried to help him and was dragged backwards by her hair.

The garda said Ms Dempsey was the least involved of the three people in terms of violence.

He agreed with Sandra Frayne BL, defending, that Ms Dempsey had nothing to do with the incident in the car park and that none of Mr Eagers’ injures were attributed to Ms Dempsey.

The garda agreed with Ms Frayne that at the time Ms Dempsey came upon the scene her brother Karl had a cut on his face and near his ear.

Mr Eagers told gardaí in his statement that he had been acting in self defence.

Ms Frayne said her client thought she was doing a good thing in coming to her brother’s assistance but now realises she should not have done anything.

Counsel said Dempsey was married and her husband, who she met when she was 17 years old, is in prison. She said Dempsey was involved in her family's flower vendor business.