June 8, 1997

SHE'S OVER THE TOP

BARE-BREASTED PRANCER HELD AFTER COP GROPED

By JOHN INTINI and IAN TIMBERLAKE
Toronto Sun

Her breasts may have been hidden, but nothing covered Maureen O'Reilly's mouth when the Stratford woman appeared in court yesterday charged with grabbing a policewoman's crotch.

"It can't get any f--king worse than this!" a shackled O'Reilly, 23, said aloud at the Old City Hall courtroom where she appeared on charges unrelated to her topless dance at Nathan Phillips Square on Friday.

O'Reilly crashed a city-sponsored seniors' festival and pranced about wearing only nipple rings, a sarong and sunglasses.

Her topless tango was legal because of a recent Ontario Court of Appeal ruling that women can drop their tops in public.

But hours after O'Reilly's bare-breasted ballet, Metro Police arrested her following a 1:30 a.m. fracas on Yonge St. north of St. Clair Ave.

Police said a woman swore at a cabby and tossed a lit cigarette into his car when he told her he was busy.

BLUE LANGUAGE

The woman grabbed the cab door and "hyper-extended the hinges" before she walked away, a detective said.

The woman swore "and blew in the ... face" of a female officer who found her on Yonge St. and asked if she'd been drinking, said the detective who didn't want his name used.

When the cop tried to arrest the woman, she grabbed the officer's groin, he said.

Wearing black warm-up pants and a grey-and-white striped T-shirt draped over her breasts, O'Reilly entered court handcuffed and shackled. She swore and struggled with court security officers during her five-minute appearance.

O'Reilly, who was charged with mischief and assaulting police, was remanded in custody to appear in College Park court tomorrow.


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