Man who was abusive to hospital staff and Gardaí receives suspended sentence

A man who was abusive towards the staff at the Midlands Hospital in Tullamore and to gardaí received a suspended sentence at Tullamore District Court last week.

Rostyslav Rundnytskyi (43) with an address at 21 The Orchards, Clancy Terrace, County Cork was charged with engaging in threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.

Sgt Richie Thornton, court presenter, told the court that on October 1 of this year at 6.15pm gardaí were called to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore where they observed the defendant slouched over a bench in an intoxicated state.

He had been abusive to staff in the hospital and when the gardaí attempted to interact with him he told them to "f*** off" and was abusive before being arrested, the court heard. He has no previous convictions.

Solicitor for the defendant, Patrick Martin said his client has very poor English, which prompted Judge Andrew Cody to respond, "he was well able to swear in English at the doctors and nurses doing their jobs."

Mr Martin said his client is currently not working and has a 20 year old son in Kyiv and apologises for his behaviour on the evening in question.

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"There is no excuse for his behaviour, he has limited English and is attempting to find work," Mr Martin said.

"The hospital staff have a hard enough job to do without the likes of Mr Rundnytskyi coming in and giving them abuse and swearing at them," Judge Cody said and sentenced the defendant to one month imprisonment, suspended for two years on his own bond of €100.