Man had to be restrained in Lourdes hospital

A MAN who was highly intoxicated and attended Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital with cracked ribs after he fell down stairs in his home had to be restrained as he started to abuse and threaten hospital staff.

David Lawless (29) hurled abuse towards nursing staff, security and gardai in the early hours of the morning before he was arrested, Drogheda District Court heard.

The defendant, of McArdle Green in Moneymore pleaded guilty to being intoxicated and using threatening and abusive behaviour at the hospital on September 9.

He has no previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Dermot Monahan told Judge Alan Mitchell the defendant was on medication and shouldn’t have been drinking.

“He drank at home and then fell down the stairs and cracked his ribs. He was in a lot of pain and he was intoxicated,” said Mr Monahan

“He regrets his actions and he is very sorry. He shouldn’t have been drinking and events overtook themselves,” he said, adding the defendant is “on limited means” as he is not working but managed to get €300 together as a charitable donation.

Judge Mitchell remarked that it “seems to be a regular feature - people having too much drink and ending up in hospital.”

“The hospitals are already overburdened and then there is an extra burden on them with people becoming difficult.”

“The State is so generous to citizens and then they drink to excess. I don’t pay my taxes for him to go out and drink to excess,” he remarked.

He ordered the defendant pay €300 to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Patient Comfort Fund and remarked: “I doubt your behaviour gave patients much comfort.’

After the charitable donation was paid over, Judge Mitchell applied Section 1.1 of the Probation Act.