Ughamadu pleads guilty to charges
Friday, February 29th, 2008A Nigerian national whose detention for several days in a Garda cell was found to be unlawful is being assessed by the Psychiatric unit of the Midwestern Regional hospital after being freed by the District Court.
John Ughamadu came to the attention of the authorities after he was found at the Redemptorists church almost naked in a crib during Christmas. He was before the court on Thursday.
Efforts to secure a bed at the Central Mental Hospital were unsuccessful and Gardai were forced to hold him in one of their cells.
This was ruled by the high court to be unlawful, and as such, he was moved to a room at the Quality Hotel.
A bed was eventually found for him after a row erupted between the District Court judge Tom O’Donnell and the CMH.
After several orders by the court, a consultant at the hospital gave evidence on 13 February.
Helen O’Niell said of Ughamadu, “His thinking, perceptions, emotions and judgements were impaired,” She also described his condition as a bi-polar disorder. However, she did say that after two weeks of treatment, he was fit to plead in his case, a conclusion which was contested by solicitor Ted McCarthy, representing him.
Judge Tom O’Donnell was less than pleased at the CMH on the day.
I find it extremely disturbing that I had to put this matter back on a number of occasions. I feel this court has got off on the wrong foot with the CMH.”
“I am firmly of the view had this man been brought to the CMH as first ordered last month, we would not have brought a respected consultant kicking and screaming down here. I feel it has been an absolute struggle and absolutely unnecessary,
On Wednesday, Professor Harry Kennedy claimed that Ughamadu exaggerated his mental illness at times. the court heard how he would have an “episode” like someone would have the flu. This was in conflict with the evidence given earlier by Ms O’Niell
Having heard the evidence, Judge O’Donnell surmised that Ughamadu had “suffered enough” and released him whereupon he was brought to the Regional for assessment.
The initial reports of this case today made it look very bad for Ughamadu, but it is clear that the circumstances of this case were exaserbated even further by the dilly-dallying and conflicts of evidence given by members of staff from the CMH.
By the way, I have removed any “bloody foreigners” type comments as his nationality is irrelavent.
