Psychiatric patient fined for abusing staff as they tried to discharge her from Cork hospital

Judge Kelleher said: “It is a sad case. She had just been released from St. Michael’s unit and she had difficulty coping.”

Sergeant Pat Lyons said staff at Mercy University Hospital were discharging Kaye Barrett at 11.45am on November 25, 2021. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Public order legislation was invoked to prosecute a psychiatric patient who reacted aggressively to being discharged from hospital at a time when she did not feel well enough to leave.

Kaye Barrett, aged 41, of Curragh, Donoughmore, Co Cork, was prosecuted for engaging in threatening words or behaviour likely to lead to a breach of the peace and refusing to leave the scene of a disturbance when directed by gardaí.