The parents of a newborn baby who was abducted from his cot in a maternity hospital a year ago have asked a judge to make sure it never happens again.
Marie Crean (37), Eglinton Terrace, Western Road, Cork, was due to be sentenced at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday. The mother of eight was drunk when she attempted to snatch a newborn boy - a twin - from the Erinville Hospital in September 2002 by putting him under her T-shirt and walking out.
However, an electronic tag on the baby's leg alerted hospital security, and the baby was taken from her in the foyer.
Sentencing had been adjourned until yesterday to give Crean a chance at rehabilitation in a centre in Athy, which she promised last June to undertake.
However, the court heard yesterday that she broke out of the centre after only a few days and was found intoxicated by gardaí in the town centre holding up traffic.
Det Sgt Declan O'Sullivan told Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin that the baby's parents had wanted Crean to get help for her problems and did not want her locked up, but were concerned about the recent break-out.
"Their basic concern is that they don't want a repetition of this to happen to anybody else," Det Sgt O'Sullivan said.
Judge Ó Donnabháin said he was concerned about what happened in Athy and that, despite Crean's wishes to be sentenced yesterday, he could not make a ruling until he heard from the doctor who had treated her in Mountjoy Prison.
Crean told the court that she had not been ready for treatment when she was in Athy but was prepared for it now and wanted the matter dealt with.
"It's very clear that the really critical thing in this case is what will come after your release," Judge Ó Donnabháin said. "The protection of the public is going to require the management of that gap, but if I don't know what the score is, how can I tell you what the score is? It's absolutely essential to know what they are proposing for the period after you get out of Mountjoy."
Sentencing was adjourned until October 29th, when evidence will be given by the Mountjoy doctors.