A man who walked out of hospital in the middle of treatment had his patient ID wrist band still on when an ambulance crew came to pick him up after he was found in a paralytic condition some hours later.
Kevin Nolan, with a Wexford address, was found lying on the footpath on Bridge Street in a highly intoxicated condition. Gardaí who were called to deal with him decided he was a danger to himself and others and was in such a state that they called an ambulance.
When the ambulance crew examined him, they found the hospital band still on his wrist. It was established that he had earlier walked out of UHG, and the ambulance brought him back again to resume his treatment after he sobered up.
Nolan ended up before Judge Liz Healy at Galway District Court because he had failed to pay the fixed fine issued by the Gardaí dealing with him for the offence of public drunkenness. He is currently serving a sentence for an unrelated matter.
The court was told Nolan had 27 previous convictions, including 22 for similar public order offences. His solicitor pleaded that his client was 32 and that he was now doing well.
Judge Healy said it sounded like an awful incident for the Gardaí and ambulance personnel to deal with, and imposed a €300 fine.
