A DUBLIN man who rang RTÉ’s Gerry Ryan Show seeking psychiatric help after he broke into a home to act out his fantasies about harming women will be sentenced later after evidence was given in court yesterday.
George Turner (40) had been a good husband and father for 16 years before he was diagnosed with depression and began abusing prescription medicine to deal with the condition.
He rang the Gerry Ryan Show to say he’d broken into a house to act out his violent thoughts a few days previously, but left when he discovered there was only a male occupant present.
Turner, of Phibsboro Road, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespassing at a nearby Avondale Road house with intent to commit assault on November 21st, 2009. He has 10 previous convictions, including seven for theft and fraud offences.
Det Sgt James Byrne said the late Mr Ryan and his producers conducted an off-air interview with Turner, as they were concerned about the nature of his call. They took his name and telephone number and contacted gardaí.
Det Sgt Byrne agreed with Shane Costelloe, defending, that before his client rang the Gerry Ryan Show gardaí had no identifiable suspect for the break-in several days before.
He agreed Turner had willingly provided his name and number to the show’s producers in a call that had seemed like a “cry for help”.
He agreed Turner had been discharged from St Brendan’s Psychiatric Hospital about that time.
Det Sgt Byrne told Dara Hayes, prosecuting, that a resident at the Avondale Road premises was home alone and had gone downstairs after his internet connection was suddenly interrupted.
He went into the sitting room, noticed the internet router had been unplugged and a number of games consoles had been bundled beside the television. The resident entered the hallway and met an intruder with a pillow over his face. He ran out the door, leaving the intruder in the hall, and rang gardaí once across the road.
Det Sgt Byrne said Turner denied unplugging the router during interview, and said he fled once he discovered the lone house occupant was male. Turner explained he had normal thoughts during the day, but fantasised about harming women at night.
He said he had walked past the Avondale Road premises to meet a friend, noticed an upstairs light was on, and broke in through an open downstairs window because he wanted to harm someone.
He apologised for what he did and said he needed help.
Turner’s estranged wife told Mr Costelloe that she still had a good relationship with him, and that he had been a good husband and father till he was diagnosed with depression.
Sonia Turner said her husband’s life became “chaotic” as he took advantage of his prescribed medication and grew dependent on tablets. She said he admitted himself into hospital twice to try and get help for his psychotic thoughts.
She added that since being in custody her husband no longer has the same violent impulses, and she hoped there would be a space for him at a residential treatment programme so he could tackle his prescription drug addiction.
Judge Desmond Hogan acknowledged Turner needs psychiatric help. He said he had “no doubt” Turner had “goodness” in him because he knew his fantasies were wrong and “went to great lengths to get help”. He adjourned to October for sentencing.