Patient made up story in bid to get lift home from gardaí

A PATIENT being discharged from hospital claimed she was in fear of people waiting for her outside, but she later admitted making up the story in the hope of getting a spin home in a Garda car.

When it became clear that the story about being in fear was made up and she was told to get public transport home, the 36-year-old said she would smash a window at the hospital if she wasn’t driven home by An Garda Síochána.

Michelle O’Donovan, of Redcliff Hostel, Western Rd, Cork, was given a three-month suspended jail term by Judge Olann Kelleher at Cork District Court after she pleaded guilty to a charge of engaging in threatening behaviour at Cork University Hospital.

Sergeant Gearóid Davis outlined the background to the incident: “On November 6, 2021, gardaí attended at a call at the emergency department at CUH where a woman was claiming she was in fear to leave the hospital as she believed that people outside were waiting for her.

“She was being escorted from the hospital by security staff. She could not give any reasonable excuse for her behaviour and this fear.

“Security officers told gardaí that they wished for her to leave as she had caused a minor disturbance in the hospital after being discharged.

“Ms O’Donovan admitted that she had made up the story about people trying to attack her so as to obtain a drive home from the hospital by gardaí. Public transport services nearby were pointed out to her numerous times and she was asked to leave the hospital grounds.

“Finally, she stated to gardaí if they didn’t drop her home she would break a window in the emergency department.

“She was arrested and conveyed to Togher Garda Station where she was charged.”

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the defendant had a legitimate reason for being in the hospital in the first place and had been out of trouble for over 10 years. He said she had some mental health concerns. The defendant agreed with Judge Kelleher that her behaviour was not fair to other patients present that day.

Mr Buttimer said: “She was probably not taking her medication appropriately at the time.”

Judge Kelleher said to O’Donovan: “If you engage in that kind of behaviour again you will automatically go to prison.”