Garda's arm bitten during struggle with patient in A&E at Tullamore Hospital

A GARDA'S arm was bitten during a struggle with a patient in Tullamore Hospital Accident & Emergency Department, the sitting of last week’s court was told. 

Ioan Bancu, Bonavalley, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, was charged with committing the assault on the 5th of March, 2021. The defending solicitor Ciara Macklin said her client was pleading guilty. 

Sgt James O’Sullivan told the court that Mr Bancu became troublesome when he was attending the A & E in Tullamore Hospital and two Gardai had to be called to assist. However there was a struggle during which he bit one of the Gardai on the arm but he didn’t break the skin.  

He was subsequently committed to a psychiatric hospital. He has several previous convictions including theft, no insurance and criminal damage.”

Ms Macklin said her client is 33 years of age, single and has no dependents.

“Mr Bancu has a long history of suffering from psychiatric issues. He has very little recollection of what happened in the hospital. He has been diagnosed as schizophrenic. He is on medication now and is stable. He fully appreciates now the trouble he is in and I am confident he is genuine in his concern and remorse. He wants to work and is actively looking for work. He had previously been working in a meat factory. Consumption of alcohol wasn’t the issue in the A & E department; it was a psychotic and delusional episode. He wasn’t thinking logically. It wasn’t malice; it was a genuine psychiatric problem manifesting itself in this assault.” 

Judge Andrew Cody adjourned the case to December the 13 stating that if there were no further incidents between now and then, then he would apply the Probation Act.