The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by a Co Galway teacher against the High Court's refusal to allow him to take proceedings over his committal to a psychiatric hospital after it was alleged he had delusions that his wife was having affairs with at least six men.
The three judges refused leave to Mr Louis Blehein, who was committed to St John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Dublin, in 1987, to institute proceedings in connection with his detention against two doctors, his wife (from whom he is separated), and three members of the Garda.
The Chief Justice, Mr Justice Keane, sitting with Mr Justice Murphy and Mr Justice Murray, upheld the High Court's refusal to allow an application by Mr Blehein, brought under the 1945 Mental Treatment Act, for permission to bring the action.
In the High Court it was found that Mr Blehein (60), of St Brigid's Avenue, Portumna, Co Galway, who was detained for 11 weeks in the hospital in 1987, had not established substantial grounds for contending that any of the actions of the respondents were vitiated by bad faith or by want of reasonable care.
It was also found that Mr Blehein's application was statute-barred, being outside the time limit allowed by law for the bringing of such an application.
During the High Court action, it emerged that Mr Blehein was admitted to St John of God's three times, in 1984, 1987 and 1991.
On his initial admission he was diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. In 1987 he was certified by two Portumna doctors as suffering from mental illness.