Causing disturbances in hospitals where staff are under pressure and members of the public are waiting hours for treatment cannot be tolerated, warned Judge Mary Fahy before fining a man €400 for public order offences committed at UHG.
Anthony Ward (35 ) with an address at 57 Walter Macken Place, Mervue, was brought before Galway District Court last Monday for threatening and abusive behaviour at UHG on March 29, 2009.
The court heard that at 9.55pm gardai received a call to attend the A&E department at UHG where they found the defendant involved in a disturbance at the entrance. Security staff were restraining the defendant and gardai had to assist as he was “quite violent”.
Defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran said that her client, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, had been at the hospital with his mother who was there for an operation on her leg. Trouble started after a woman, who had also been before the court, made a “false allegation” against the defendant. Ms Corcoroan explained that Ward has been on serious medication for the past 13 years and hasn’t drunk alcohol for nine years because of his problems. She said that Ward, who is on disability benefit, is also a carer for his father.
Judge Mary Fahy highlighted the court’s strict attitude towards such public order offences taking place in a hospital where staff are under pressure and members of the public are waiting for hours to be treated. “It’s not appropriate and the court has to treat it seriously,” she added.
Ward was convicted and fined €400 with three months to pay.
