The director of the Central Mental Hospital is to come to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court next Thursday concerning a "very sick, chronic schizophrenic" who the court heard is a danger to society and his own family.
Judge Michael White requested the appearance of the director after being told that this man would not be accepted at the Central Mental Hospital because he was not suicidal, had not acted in a serious assault case in response "to voices in his head" and also because there was a shortage of beds in Dundrum.
Christopher Gleeson (20), Corduff Green, Blanchardstown, Dublin, who pleaded guilty to assault on October 18th, 2003, causing serious harm to Edward Fanning, was remanded on continuing bail for sentence.
Mr Fanning (28), a teacher from Gorey, Co Wexford, told Judge White that his life was destroyed by thugs who had left him for dead after he stopped them from trying to hijack his car while he held a party for his son's first birthday.
Judge White said he was "shocked" to hear that Gleeson did not qualify for admission to the Central Mental Hospital for treatment he obviously needed. There had to be a custodial element in his sentence which the court had to structure to ensure he was treated, in view of the evidence that he could be a danger even to his own family.
Dr Brian McCaffrey, forensic psychiatrist, told Isobel Kennedy SC, defending, that Gleeson was "a very sick young man with serious mental illness" and he agreed with another medical diagnosis that he was "a chronic schizophrenic" of borderline intelligence.
Dr McCaffrey said that following his interviews with Gleeson, he warned his mother and solicitor about the danger to the family unless his condition was dealt with. He said Gleeson was getting substantial daily medication which was essential for his present stability and must not stop at any time.
Dr McCaffrey said Gleeson's problems had been exacerbated by his indulging in "street drugs and alcohol". He was perfectly normal until about 17 years old but he deteriorated rapidly following two accidents. Head injuries he suffered, especially from the second accident, were not the cause of his problem.
Dr McCaffrey said Coolmine had ruled him out as being a suitable candidate for admission there and he could not get into the Central Mental Hospital because he was not suicidal and was not "hearing voices in his head". He only got necessary information from Gleeson "because I was aggressive in my interview".
Gleeson had been sitting in his room for some time without speaking to anyone and only grunting in reply to them.
He went out that evening looking for cannabis but "wasn't driven by voices in is head" when he became involved in the attack on Mr Fanning.
"He was very mentally ill on that occasion," Dr McCaffrey said.
Ms Kennedy noted that evidence from Sgt Brian Gill indicated Gleeson was not the prime mover in the serious assault on Mr Fanning but was a hanger-on. The evidence against him was from his own admission and only he and another person of the seven who attacked Mr Fanning had been brought to justice.
Mr Fanning told the court that as a result of being "savagely attacked outside his home by seven thugs who had "captured and terrorised a lovely estate", he woke up in hospital 6½ weeks later, "not knowing where I was or what happened to me".
He had to undergo brain surgery to relieve a life-threatening blood clot, he had surgery on his left elbow and his chin was broken in two places, among other injuries.
"My whole life has been changed completely and destroyed by these people," he told Judge White. "My relationship has ended and now I only see my son every fortnight.
"When are we going to call a spade a spade, when is the punishment going to fit the crime?" he asked. "I could have died there on the road. I could have left my son fatherless."