Portlaoise Court: Homeless man had to be hospitalised from rat and animal bites
Portlaoise Courthouse
A HOMELESS man who was hospitalised from rat and animal bites was so drunk that gardaí had to carry him into a garda station for his own safety.
That was the evidence against Stephen Bracken of no fixed abode when he was brought before last week’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court charged with section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 (It shall be an offence for any person to be present in any public place while intoxicated to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that he might endanger himself or any other person in his vicinity) at a location in Laois on Wednesday 8 July.
Gardaí said that they were opposing bail being granted to the accused.
The court heard that, along with the public order offence, Mr Bracken had been brought before the court for failing to appear in the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ) in Dublin.
His barrister David Nugent said that his client is a very vulnerable man who resides in B&Bs.
He said: “If he goes into custody, he will lose any gains he has made in the system and will go back to zero. He’s living in homeless accommodation in Dublin and will make his way to the CCJ. He’s been in hospital before due to his living conditions because of rat bites and animal bites.” Mr Nugent said that he would travel to Dublin to make sure that his client attends the CCJ to answer to the outstanding bench warrants that have been issued for him.
The garda who arrested Mr Bracken the day before on the public order offence said: “He was so badly intoxicated yesterday that he had to be carried into the garda station.” Mr Nugent said: “He is a vulnerable man who has a lot of difficulties that the state has let him down.’’ Judge Andrew Cody remanded Mr Bracken on his own bail to appear in the CCJ to a later date in July.
Asked how the defendant was pleading to the public order offence, Mr Nugent said that his client was pleading guilty.
Judge Cody went on to apply the Probation Act.
The judge asked Mr Nugent whether he was applying for free legal aid, to which he replied he was representing Mr Bracken pro-bono (free of charge).
