Unruly behaviour led to evacuation of A&E department at Portlaoise hospital
Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise is carrying out essential work to the waiting area only of the Emergency Department (ED)
A LARGE number of people had to be evacuated from the waiting area in Portlaoise hospital’s A&E department due to the unruly behavior of a woman.
So Judge Andrew Cody was told at last week’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court, when 49-year-old Angela McDonagh, Old Knockmay Road, Portlaoise came before him for sentencing.
Ms McDonagh was previously before the court, where she was convicted of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and failing to comply with the directions of a garda at the hospital on 8 December.
When the case resumed last week, defending barrister Brian Mallon said that his client was offering apologies for her behaviour on the night in question.
Garda Foley said he responded to a call about a disturbance in the hospital’s A&E department on the night. When he arrived at the scene he came across Ms McDonagh, who was “highly aggressive and abusive. A large number of people had to be removed from the hospital because of her behaviour”.
Garda Foley said: “She had received medical treatment earlier in the day and there was no need for her to be there at that time. She refused to leave and had to be arrested.” He said that Ms McDonagh had 16 previous convictions.
Mr Mallon said the defendant hadn’t been taking her medication for a condition she had and wanted to apologise to the gardaí, the staff and all the people who had been in the hospital at the time. He said she was now back on her medication.
Judge Andrew Cody said: “The hospital staff have better things to be doing than having to put up with this type of behaviour.” He convicted Ms McDonagh of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and sentenced her to one month in prison, which he suspended for two years and took the other matter into consideration.
