'I need treatment, not jail' says Laois defendant

A young man who had spent four days in custody after being charged with the breach of a safety order will now have to spend another four inside if his defence team can’t find him a bed in rehab following his plea to the judge: “I don’t need jail, I need treatment”.

Appearing before a closed court at Naas courthouse by videolink, the young man from Ballylinan had been remanded in custody on 1 June for reasons not discussed over the breach, which occurred on 8 December 2022.

Immediately, Judge Desmond Zaidan commented on the defendant’s demeanour.

“You were before me on Sunday and the difference in four days … you look so much healthier,” said the judge.

“When I saw you at midday on Sunday, you looked so unhealthy. The difference in four days since I saw you … ” he trailed off.

“I don’t need prison, I’m not violent. I need treatment, not jail,” pleaded the man.

“That’s one thing we’d be in tandem with, if I had the power to send you to a treatment centre, and the doctors and nurses there told me you didn’t need treatment so be it, but we don’t have that yet. It (admission) has to be voluntary, so you have to play snakes and ladders with the system,” commented the judge.

“I would give every addict every chance if I could in a medical centre, instead of through the court system. It would make a hell of a difference,” he said.

The young man wiped away tears as he described his circumstances.

The judge replied: “Yes, you should be in a treatment centre, but at this juncture I can’t risk what might happen if you fell off the wagon, you don’t know what you’d do."

“I’m looking for a chance at bail so I can get treatment for once and for all,” said the defendant on screen.

The judge then turned to defending barrister Mark Gibbons and offered a novel way out.

“If you can source a (rehab) bed for him, I’ll amend this order,” he said.

“He is due in Athy on Tuesday for further charges,” Sergeant Dave Hanrahan reminded the judge.

Provisionally, the judge then remanded the man on continuing custody to appear there on 10 June.

“I can’t get the probation officer involved yet because he is still presumed innocent, but you should liaise with her to source a bed,” the judge advised Mr Gibbons.

“There’s only so much I can do,” said the judge. “We can all dance around this, but you have to help yourself before we can help you. You need to stay in rehab, otherwise you’ll get no sympathy from me.” 

It was not revealed to the court whether the search was successful, but all should be revealed on Tuesday 10 June.