Jail sentence for man who was racially abusive at Tullamore hospital A&E

TULLAMORE District Court was told that a man on a trolley in the hospital emergency department was racially abusive to staff and called gardai “faggotty handicaps”.

Judge Andrew Cody heard that William McGinley (23), 9 Meadow Lane, Roscommon Road, Athlone, Co Westmeath, was being treated for a fractured leg at the Midlands Regional Hospital, Arden Road, Tullamore on the night of June 18/19 last year.

Mr McGinley appeared before the court and pleaded guilty to two breaches of the peace, one on the night of June 18 and another in the early hours of June 19.

Detective Garda David Harney said that at 10.20pm on June 18 he received a call that a patient was giving racial abuse to staff at Tullamore A&E (accident and emergency) and when he attended the scene Mr McGinley was lying on a trolley.

The man was extremely abusive towards gardai and staff and he stated to the detective garda: “I was going to join the guards but I realised I wasn't a faggot.”

Hospital staff indicated he was racially abusive but they did not wish to make a statement, added Detective Garda Harney.

He said other patients in adjacent trolleys could see and hear what was going on and were horrified.

Eventually Mr McGinley had to be moved to a private room and as he was being wheeled away he said to gardai: “Go away from me ye faggotty handicaps.”

He was not in position to be arrested because he had a fractured leg and Detective Garda Harney said it was unfortunate that the hospital staff had to ignore the abuse.

Judge Cody was told Mr McGinley had seven previous convictions from a court in Athlone in 2019 including two assaults, possession of knives and other articles, a drugs offence and burglary.

There was also a conviction from 2020 for a breach of the peace and a six-month probation order had been made by the court.

Responding to what he had been told about the hospital incident Judge Cody remarked: “If I was there I know where I'd have gone with the trolley, and Mr McGinley on it.”

David Nugent, BL, for Mr McGinley, said the accused's behaviour had been a reaction to medication and he apologised to all of the staff and gardai.

The incident was an aberration and was not something he'd been in court previously for, nor had he been in court for a number of years.

Mr Nugent said the man was a good father to his children.

Judge Cody said Mr McGinley had been racially abusive to staff who were there to help him and were working hard.

He has seven previous convictions including convictions under the Public Order Act so he was sentencing him to prison for two months.

Asked by Mr Nugent if the sentence could be suspended, Judge Cody said he would not do so and added: “Nobody should have to put up with that type of abuse.”

He did fix recognisances for an appeal at €500 in the defendant's own bond plus €250 cash.

Evidence was given later in the day by Sergeant Mark Shine about the second incident which resulted in another summons alleging a breach of the peace.

Sergeant Shine said that a number of hours after the first incident Mr McGinley repeatedly told staff and gardai to “f... off”.

Imposing another two-month sentence, to be served consecutively to the first one, Judge Cody said there was no reason for the man to behave like that again.

On this occasion Paul Noctor, BL, appeared for Mr McGinley and he repeated that the man had been affected by medication and added that he had €250 cash to lodge an appeal for the first conviction.

Judge Cody then fixed recognisances for the second conviction at €500 in the defendant's own bond and another €250 cash.