Man (45) found 'butt-naked and out of his mind' on hotel balcony after taking magic mushrooms, court hears

Gordon Deegan

A 45-year-old Co Clare man was found by gardaí “completely out of his mind” and “butt-naked” on a hotel balcony after taking too many micro-doses of magic mushrooms for therapeutic reasons, a court has heard.

At Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis, Jonathan O’Donoghue of The Old House, Knockroe, Meelick, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Garda Donal Coughlan and resisting arrest by Garda Conor Horan at the Killaloe Hotel and Spa on December 21st last year.

Sgt Frank O’Grady said that Mr O’Donoghue assaulted Garda Coughlan during the course of his late-night arrest at the hotel.

Sgt O’Grady said that staff had contacted gardaí, who found Mr O’Donoghue naked on a balcony of his hotel room, where he said that he had consumed magic mushrooms.

Sgt O’Grady said that Garda Coughlan suffered only minor injuries in the assault.

Judge Alec Gabbett said that assaulting a Garda is a serious offence and imposed 120 hours of community service on Mr O'Donoghue.

Judge Gabbett said that Mr O’Donoghue’s intoxication from the magic mushrooms "became so intense that it became a disability".

Solicitor, Daragh Hassett, for Mr O’Donoghue said that the night could have ended in tragedy but for the intervention of the gardaí.

He said that Mr O’Donoghue had taken the micro-doses of magic mushrooms for their therapeutic value to deal with Mr O’Donoghue’s anxiety and depression.

He said that Mr O’Donoghue had attended a lecture on Limerick’s Dock Rd on the therapeutic value of the active ingredient psilocybin found in magic mushrooms, where he was told that it can reverse depression and anxiety.

Mr Hassett said following the Dock Rd lecture, Mr O’Donoghue went to pick magic mushrooms.

Mr Hassett said that Mr O’Donoghue works in Limerick and has a long-term difficulty with addiction to alcohol and drugs and has been off alcohol and drugs for some time.

Mr Hassett said that on the night of December 21st last, Mr O’Donoghue and his partner went away for a night to the Killaloe Hotel and Spa to avoid a Christmas Party.

Judge Gabbett remarked, “they had their own Christmas party” and Mr Hassett said in reply “no”, that this wasn’t the case, as Mr O’Donoghue’s partner doesn’t drink.

He said that on returning to their hotel room after a meal, Mr O'Donoghue started imbibing the micro-doses of magic mushrooms in tea.

Mr Hassett said that, unfortunately, Mr O’Donoghue “over-consumed” and he ended up out of the balcony, roaring and shouting, “completely out of his mind”.

He added that staff called gardaí and they found Mr O’Donoghue ‘butt-naked unfortunately”.

Mr Hassett said that the actual effect of what Mr O’Donoghue took has worked “and he hasn’t taken any medication since and is off all prescribed medication for anxiety and depression, and he has never felt better.

“Out of this terrible incident, he has reversed depression. He is still at work and is doing very well, Mr Hassett said.

He added that Mr O’Donoghue is grateful for gardaí arresting him and has written a letter of apology for the gardaí and hotel staff.

Mr Hassett said that Mr O’Donoghue has no previous convictions for assault and “he would never purposely strike a member of the force - he would never take a Guard on - he was completely out of his mind”.