A WOMAN who breached a restraining order by trying to negotiate with her estranged brother to see their dying father in hospital, was arrested and unable to see him alive again, an Isle of Wight court was told. 

Debra McKenna, of no fixed address, admitted causing harassment by breaching a restraining order contacting her brother, by phone, on February 12.

The restraining order, with a year's probation, was imposed on January 27, for non-contact with her brother.

The brother received calls from his sister, concerning their dying father, who had been placed into end-of-life care.

McKenna told the police she wanted to arrange a hospital visit, so it did not clash with her brother going there, said Lauren Stone, prosecuting, at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court.

The court was told McKenna made a failed attempt to impersonate her mother, which she refuted, the police were called and she was arrested.

For McKenna, Oscar Vincent said when his client was at Newport Police Station, she said: "My dad is dying. I want to be there with him for a few hours. It's just cruel. I wanted to make sure I didn't bump into my brother."

Mr Vincent added: "She was informed her father was in palliative care and, understandably, she wanted to go to the hospital to say goodbye to him properly.

"Sensibly, she did not want to go to the hospital at a time when her brother was there and create an awkward scene in front of her father in his final hours.

"In the circumstances, it would not have been unreasonable for her brother to say OK, but he didn't.

"Instead, he rang the police, reported her and got her arrested. She was held overnight and interviewed the next day.

"While being interviewed, her father passed away, so wasn't able to say goodbye to him.

"That's the extent of her criminality — if that's what you call it."

Magistrates allowed McKenna's probation order to continue, with a further concurrent 12-month probation order, to include alcohol treatment, together with an £80 fine and £114 surcharge.