A SENIOR Garda told a judge this week that there are delays in getting medical reports from the University Hospital Limerick (UHL) to progress court cases.
Inspector Gearoid Thompson told Judge Carol Ann Coolican that there “seems to be a backlog” in getting reports from the busy hospital to help determine facts in court cases.
He was speaking in Newcastle West District Court during a case of an underage girl accused of assault on another teen.
Judge Coolican had asked for a victim impact report which would in part be informed by the medical facts in the case.
Seeking an adjournment of the prosecution, Inspector Thompson said that reports “in this and other cases” were slow to come to the Gardaí and defending solicitors from UHL.
Judge Coolican noted that the Garda report on the case said that there was “a deep laceration”, which needed stitching, inflicted by a broken bottle.
She said she would like to see the medial report and agreed to put the case back until June 25 to give all concerned a chance to see it.
Afterwards, Inspector Thompson told the Limerick Post, “we completely understand that the hospital is terribly busy and we don’t blame them for any delay.
“They are dealing with important medical matters but we need reports to move matters along in the courts.”
