Solicitor pleads for medical help for man
A solicitor defending a 31-year-old man charged with 30 public order offences pleaded for him to be admitted to St Columba’s Hospital to help him with his addictions or else he said he feared he was going to end up dead.
Gary Duncan of Seaview Park, Sea Road was before Sligo District Court charged with public order in various locations around Sligo in 2016 and 2017.
Also present in court was Dr Mulligan from St Columba’s Hospital. Mr Tom MacSharry solicitor (defending) asked Dr Mulligan if he was aware that he went to the hospital in person with Duncan last March to hand in a referral letter from his treating doctor. Dr Mulligan said he didn’t receive the letter as it was in a different department to mental health.
Judge Kevin Kilrane said the problems facing the courts is that a defendant appears on serious charges and with mental health, drug and alcohol addictions and then the judge has to know whether they should be sent to prison or be referred for help and if so where.
“I have to say that I find the mental health services in Sligo lacking and downright unhelpful,” he said.
“I find it strange that a letter delivered by Mr MacSharry by hand was either lost or cannot be found or it is in another department.
“I would have thought in this day and age that all correspondence be it addiction or mental health would all be unified in a singular file and that whatever doctors are treating a person cannot then say it’s not their department.”
Mr MacSharry said Duncan’s Probation Officer indicated he does have underlying mental health issues and addiction problems and he cannot stop taking alcohol and needs serious help.
He said at the time he attended St Columba’s Hospital with Duncan that he was shocked that he was not admitted on the day.
Judge Kilrane asked if it is the case that the ingestion of substances produces mental health issues and depression with the defendant and Dr Mulligan said it was and that the emphasis needed to be on treating the cause of the problem. Dr Mulligan said Mr Duncan was last assessed by the mental health services on March 8th and his diagnosis sourced problems with drug addiction.
Mr MacSharry then asked what needs to be done to get someone admitted to St Columba’s Hospital. He said he didn’t know how many times the defendant was arrested in the last month alone and said they were all related to alcohol and medication addiction. He said he was going to end up dead if he didn’t get help.
The judge said it was clear he needs particular counselling and specialist treatment. He suggested that Dr Mulligan should assign someone to deal with him and Dr Mulligan said the services in Markievicz House are seven-day services and there is a lot of support there and he said it would be made sure that they will engage with the defendant.
The judge adjourned the case until May and he told the defendant that it was up to him to help himself.
Duncan replied that he is trying to wean himself off medication with alcohol and the judge replied that was like going of out of the frying pan and into the fire.
“The message is loud and clear, you need help and there are services to assist you,” he added.
Mr MacSharry requested for an updated Probation Report to be in court on the adjourned date in May.