A former patient who has refused several requests to leave a hospital in Co Cork was ordered out of the premises by a High Court judge yesterday. Mr Justice O'Sullivan was told Ms Christine Buckley refuses to go to a hostel and is insisting she be provided with a flat "of good quality".
A psychiatrist said patients at the hospital were afraid of Ms Buckley who was "truculent and abusive" to them.
On the application of the Southern Health Board, Ms Buckley, described as a person of no fixed abode but currently residing at St Stephen's Hospital, Sarsfield's Court, Glanmire, Co Cork, was ordered by the judge to vacate the hospital. Gardai were also granted permission to remove her without warrant from the hospital pending further court order.
In an affidavit handed into court, Dr David F. Dunne, a consultant psychiatrist at St Stephen's, said Ms Buckley was admitted to his care on August 7th, 1999, having suffered a mild relapse of a psychiatric condition.
She had since recovered, and he concluded she was fit for discharge from September 21st last. He informed her that he proposed to discharge her, but Ms Buckley refused to go. On October 18th he again informed her she was being discharged from the hospital with her situation to be reviewed in the outpatients' clinic, but she again refused to leave.