Teacher refused leave to sue

A Co Galway teacher was yesterday refused leave to sue two doctors, three gardai and his estranged wife regarding his committal…

A Co Galway teacher was yesterday refused leave to sue two doctors, three gardai and his estranged wife regarding his committal to a Dublin psychiatric hospital in 1987.

Mr Justice Geoghegan said he was absolutely satisfied on the evidence before him that there was no bad faith on anybody's part in connection with Mr Louis Blehein's detention from January 1987 for a 10-week period at St John of God's Hospital, Stillorgan.

Mr Blehein (60), a secondary school teacher of St Brigid's Avenue, Portumna, Co Galway, had sought permission to bring an action claiming damages for alleged fraud, libel, slander, defamation of character, unlawful arrest and imprisonment, and damages for breach of his constitutional rights.

Mr Blehein claimed the two doctors, conspiring with his wife, fraudulently certified him and that Mrs Blehein arranged for his detention at the Dublin hospital on January 29th, 1987.

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The judge said there was no evidence to satisfy him that Mrs Blehein or any of the gardai had acted in bad faith or without reasonable care.