'Drunk, aggressive' man left CUH with intravenous line still in his arm

The court heard he "assaulted a man and he tried to assault a woman by pulling her out of her car".

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a two-month suspended sentence on the accused for engaging in threatening behaviour outside Cork University Hospital. File photo: Dan Linehan

A 35-year-old man with a medical drip in his arm decided to discharge himself from hospital and he walked off with the intravenous line still attached to him.

That was the evidence at Cork District Court in a public order incident to which Lech Sikorski of Cardinal Court, Wilton, Cork, pleaded guilty.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a two-month suspended sentence on the accused for engaging in threatening behaviour outside Cork University Hospital on that occasion and fined him €350 for being drunk and a source of danger to himself or others.

Sergeant John Kelleher said it occurred at around 5pm on April 14.

“The defendant discharged himself from the CUH with the intravenous line in.

“He was intoxicated and aggressive. He assaulted a man and he tried to assault a woman by pulling her out of her car. He tried to take her phone.” 

Sgt Kelleher said the accused was not charged with assault arising out of both of these incidents with the man and the woman outside the hospital because neither of the two parties made a statement of complaint to gardaí.

Instead he was charged with the public order offences.

Sgt Kelleher said security personnel at the hospital had to restrain him.

Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, said the defendant had no previous convictions but did have a significant background of alcohol difficulties.

“He was quite unwell and was seeking to detox from alcohol at that time. He was not in his right mind,” the solicitor said.

Detective Garda James Bugler arrived at the scene where the accused was aggressive and shouting in Polish.

Mr Collins-Daly said: “He is off drink entirely now. 

He has a girlfriend and child in Poland and he sends money home to them. He understands the seriousness of the charges.

The solicitor added that none of the public order incidents occurred within the precincts of the hospital but outside on the public road.