Hospital mayhem over ‘prison moonshine’
The patient overcrowding crisis at the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick was compounded by three inmates being admitted on St Stephenâs night, reportedly drunk on âprison hoochâ.
The inmates, serving sentences at Limerick Prison, were also allegedly druggedon a concoction of prescribed tablets mixed with hand wash gel.
An investigation is underway by the prison authorities into the inmatesâ behaviour and use of illegal contraband in jail.
âThey came in having consumed moonshine, or something like that,â said a hospital source.
âI think they had made up some alcoholic drink in jail. They were very drunk,â the source said.
According to Pat Marrinon, a patient attending the emergency department on St Stephenâs night, the public had to contend with outrageous behaviour.
In a letter to the Limerick Leader, Mr Marrinon said prison officers were threatened by the inmates who also attempted to assault the prison workers.
The threats were allegedly made as the inmates were treated by doctors after they became unwell after consuming a concoction of wash gel and tablets.
The prisoners, who were each handcuffed and accompanied by prison officers, were admitted to the already chaotic emergency department suffering from the effects of, so called, prison hooch.
The criminals, said to have been loud and abusive, were treated by doctors and nurses beside other patients along the emergency ward which has become known locally as âtrolley alleyâ.
Mr Marrinon said the inmatesâ behaviour was disgusting.
âIt was the worst carry-on I have ever witnessed in my life and I would like to pay tribute to the officers who spent that night having to put up with jibes, threats and attempted assaults.â
A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service confirmed it was investigating the matter.
All three inmates were later discharged and returned to jail after getting the all-clear.
