Escaped patient terrorises children in their home

SIX children feared for their lives after an escaped, semi-naked patient smashed his way into their home over the weekend.

The patient, who was being treated at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, entered the sitting room of the house at Gouldavoher Estate shortly after 6pm after breaking the patio door with a cement block. The children, aged between six and 16, were watching TV at the time.

The children’s father, Michael Vaughan, was collecting his wife from work at the time. A neighbour who heard screams came to the children’s rescue.

It took five men, including a retired garda, to restrain the patient who was in his 20s. The man, who was stripped to the waist and bearing an open wound from a colostomy bag which had been pulled off, was eventually returned to the hospital.

Mr Vaughan, a security consultant, said: “Ironically, earlier in the day I was giving a talk to night club security personnel on how to properly deal with a violent person. My son Shane (aged 16) rang me to tell me a man was in the back garden breaking up the garden furniture. I rushed home.”

When the couple arrived home the man had smashed his way into the sitting room after breaking the patio door with a block.

Mr Vaughan said: “A neighbour, Sean Brennan, had heard the screams of the children and went to the rescue. The children were very traumatised and it took Sean, me and three paramedics who were called to restrain him. He pretended to be dead at one stage until he was put into an ambulance.”

Mr Brennan, a retired garda, is a holder of the Scot medal for bravery.

Mr Vaughan said: “It seems that after running out of the hospital this man ran across the main road and jumped over a wall getting into our estate. It was a very dangerous situation.

“He smashed down the patio door and came into our sitting room. The kids were terrorised. Somebody needs to answer questions about this.

“His colostomy bag was gone and his gut was showing. He seemed to have a number of round bandages on his chest.”

The Health Service Executive Mid West was unavailable for comment.