€3,800 psychiatric report a disgrace, says judge

A JUDGE has described as “an absolute disgrace”, the €3,800 cost of a psychiatric report for a prisoner who scammed a man of €380.

And separately, a second judge has threatened to refuse certification for any psychiatric reports paid for under the legal aid scheme which he finds to be “premature and unnecessary”.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard a psychiatric report costing €3,800 was ordered for Stephen Mangan, aged 35, of Primrose Gardens, Darndale, who was convicted of scamming a man out of €380 on Ebay and using a computer to make false documents.