Woman's jail sentence ‘absolutely deserved’ for abusing Kikenny gardaí and St Luke's Hospital nurses

A woman who told hospital nursing staff that they were “useless” and told gardaí she hoped they “die of cancer,” absolutely deserves a custodial sentence, a judge has ordered.

Kilkenny District Court heard evidence in the case against Natalie Hyland, 43 Church View, Tullamore, who was charged with using threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and with being intoxicated in public at St Luke’s General Hospital on Christmas Eve.

Sergeant Morgan O’Connor told the court that gardaí were called to the emergency department at 4.55am where Ms Hyland was receiving medical attention and causing a disturbance.
Ms Hyland had attempted to leave the hospital against medical advice.

When the gardaí arrived Ms Hyland became abusive, the sergeant said. She told them that “she hoped that they died of cancer.”
She also shouted at the nurses that they were ‘useless b*****ds’ and ‘wasters’.
Ms Hyland had taken a mix of alcohol and drugs, but they were not sure what.

Solicitor Alexander Rafter said Ms Hyland had been “heavily under the influence of substances” which he described as “a suite of tablets.”
Her partner had called an ambulance earlier in the night and she had been taken to hospital.
Ms Hyland is not taking any substances now, the solicitor said.

On the night, Ms Hyland mistook the hospital for the garda station.
When shown the evidence by Mr Rafter the defendant could not believe what she had said and was remorseful.

She was 21 years old at the time, Mr Rafter said. Since this incident she has not gotten into any trouble. He asked the court not to impose a custodial sentence, despite the fact he knew the court was horrified by the words Ms Hyland spoke, especially in the setting of a hospital.

Judge Geraldine Carthy noted that this was the third time Ms Hyland was charged with using threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, including an instance for which she had received a suspended prison sentence two weeks before this incident.
ended up in hospital

Because of Ms Hyland’s own decision to take tablets or whatever else she took, her partner had to call an ambulance and she ended up in hospital, Judge Carthy said.

There was ‘no reasonable reason’ why a person would utter the words Ms Hyland had directed at the gardaí and she ‘absolutely deserves’ a custodial sentence, the judge said.
Unfortunately, Ms Hyland had not learned her lesson two weeks before this incident when she received the suspended sentence.

Judge Carthy convicted Ms Hyland of using threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and imposed a prison sentence of two months.
Recognisance was fixed in the event of an appeal.