Man, 63, threatened staff and gardaí at Cork hospital

The 63-year-old has 105 previous convictions.

Gardaí were called to deal with the disturbance at Mercy University Hospital on May 30 where  Patrick Fennelly was drunk and aggressive to patients and hospital staff.

A 63-year-old man turned up twice at Mercy University Hospital causing a drunken disturbance and threatening staff and making further threats to gardaí who arrived at the scene on each occasion.

The two incidents involving Patrick Fennelly occurred within one month of each other.

Now at Cork District Court, he has pleaded guilty to public order charges arising out of both cases and public order offences on other occasions elsewhere.

Sergeant John Kelleher said gardaí were called to deal with the disturbance at Mercy University Hospital on May 30. Patrick Fennelly was drunk and aggressive to patients and hospital staff.

“He did not require medical attention but he was refusing to leave, becoming more and more aggressive with hospital personnel. Gardaí arrived and asked him to leave and again he refused to do so. Gardaí feared he would attack someone during the incident at 1.30am,” said Sgt Kelleher.

After his arrest, he was searched and found to have a small amount of cannabis in his pocket. He told gardaí: “That’s my hash.”

Less than a month later the 63-year-old was back at Mercy University Hospital where he was highly abusive, threatening staff, and refusing to leave. And he was highly intoxicated.

Gardaí arrived to deal with the disturbance and he called them “a bunch of pricks”, adding, “I’ll hammer you".

 He said to one of the officers: “I’ll put a bullet in your head, young fella.” 

Around this time he was involved in a drunken disturbance at Classis Lake, Ballincollig. And again at Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork, he was found to be highly intoxicated and falling around the street, causing annoyance to members of the public.

Again in the Oliver Plunkett Street disturbance he was threatening to gardaí, shouting, “I will blow the head off the two of ye… fuck off ye pricks… I’ll kill ye if ye don’t fuck off.” 

Previous convictions

Sgt Kelleher said the 63-year-old had 105 previous convictions including being drunk and a source of danger to himself or others 33 times, and engaging in threatening and abusive words or behaviour likely to lead to a breach of the peace on 24 occasions.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the record of previous convictions was older and that the accused had not been coming to the attention of the gardaí for about ten years. But then he had a slip just over a year ago and got into further difficulties.

“He is in independent living accommodation provided by Cork Simon Community and he is on disability allowance. He is a longstanding alcoholic. He did get treatment and there was a long gap in his offending. He came back on the radar in the last 18 months after a gap of almost ten years,” Mr Buttimer said.

Judge Mary Dorgan said that these disturbances were particularly disturbing when they occurred in hospitals.

Mr Buttimer said: “He is highly apologetic for his behaviour to the public, An Garda Síochána and staff at the Mercy hospital. He does accept that his behaviour is unacceptable.” 

Judge Dorgan adjourned sentencing until November 25 for a probation report in advance of sentencing. In the meantime, the accused is required to stay away from the Mercy, be respectful to gardaí, and attend at whatever services are recommended by the probation service.