Limerick court sitting halted as defendant collapses in courtroom

SITTINGS of Limerick District Court were suspended for almost an hour this Friday after an elderly man collapsed while his case was being dealt with.

The man, whose aged in his late 60s, is being prosecuted by Limerick City and County Council for a planning offence which dates back a number of years.

Shortly before 12.30pm as the defendant’s solicitor, Ted McCarthy, was addressing the court he collapsed and fell onto the ground in the body of the court.

The packed courtroom was immediately cleared while a medical professional who, coincidentally, was present in court provided assistance to the man and placed him in the recovery position.

Emergency services were contacted and two paramedics from the National Ambulance arrived to Courtroom 6 at Lmerick Courthouse less than 20 minutes later.

They assessed the man for almost half an hour before giving him the all clear.

The defendant, who the court previously heard suffers from ill-health, was able to walk from the courtroom in the company of a friend just before 1.10pm.

When Judge Marian O’Leary returned to the bench a short time later, the man’s case was adjourned for a number of months.