‘No room at the inn’ for ‘extraordinarily vulnerable’ woman, judge says

An “extraordinarily vulnerable” woman is to be detained by court order over Christmas in a psychiatric unit because there is “no room at the inn”, the President of the High Court has said.

Mr Justice Peter Kelly said the unit is not appropriate as the woman, a ward of court, is not psychiatrically ill but it is “less inappropriate” than another option, a Garda station, and her detention was necessary to safeguard her life and health.

The only other option is for her to go home, where she does not wish to be, he said. She would be alone and “utterly forlorn” and had said she would resume her excessive drinking, often involving more than two litres of spirits daily.

The situation is “particularly poignant at this time of year”, he said.

“Not only is there no room at the inn for this unfortunate woman but none of her family want anything to do with her.”

He was told that while she has friends, they also feel unable to cope with her over Christmas. “She is in a lonely place.”

The lack of family support was “a big problem”, the woman feels “very cut off and lonely and, if she goes home, she won’t be spending Christmas with anyone, a doctor told the court.

The judge said he was also told the woman is personable and a positive thing is her insight, when sober, into her situation which could ultimately result in her recovering from her chronic alcoholism if she engages with a residential programme next month.

Earlier this week, the judge made orders for the woman, aged in her forties, to be taken to hospital and detained for detoxification.

She is from a family with a history of addiction and was made a ward of court some years ago after receiving damages for injuries suffered as result of an unnecessary medical procedure in her 20s. Those funds have all been spent, mostly on unsucessful efforts at addressing her alcohol addiction.

The orders permitting detoxification were sought by Maria Dillon, a solicitor for the HSE Community Services, amid fears the woman, due to her vulnerability, excessive drinking and associated risky behaviour, contributing to suicidial ideation, could be “dead in days”.

The woman, the court heard, would regularly drink enormous quantites of alcohol to a point where she would physically be unable to move and leaving her at risk from undesirable visitors to her home and because she would sometimes leave the door wide open.

When the case returned before the judge on Thursday, he was told the detoxification was considered sucessful and it was expected the woman would be discharged from hospital on Friday.

After that discharge, the judge has directed her detention in a psychiatric unit pending her being moved next month in a residential unit with a view to addressing her chronic alcoholism.

He said he was very appreciative of the care for the woman shown by all involved, including a doctor with the HSE and social workers who were prepared to visit her over Christmas and take her out for visits.

He also directed a fresh assessment by a court appointed medical visitor of the woman’s capacity to make decisions. Although capacity assessments were previously arranged, it had not to date been possible to carry them out because of the woman’s drinking, the court heard. If she is found to have capacity, the court would be unable to futher intervene, the judge said.

Earlier, the court was told the woman was recently found unable to move having consumed, by 6pm that day, two litres of vodka and three bottles of wine, a level of drinking described as common when she had relapses.