Northern Ireland

District judge: Spend money on clinics for addicts instead of £20bn bridge

District Judge Barney McElholm
District Judge Barney McElholm District Judge Barney McElholm

A judge has said instead of the British government spending £15 to £20 billion on a bridge which "frankly we don't need" it should fund clinics to treat addicts.

District Judge Barney McElholm was speaking in a case involving a 30-year-old woman from Derry who admitted three offences of disorderly behaviour.

The court was told she was seen shouting and swearing in Altnagelvin Hospital while attending A&E last June, while the other two incidents took place at houses in the city.

A defence lawyer said Catherine Patterson, of Top of the Hill in Derry, had an alcohol problem that led to her offending.

Judge McElholm said instead of spending money on bridges and the likes, clinics could be established "where people could be confined and get over their addiction".

He said they then could go back out and have a chance of "conquering their addictions".

Judge McElholm said for all the good that addiction services and voluntary organisations do "they cannot police people 24 hours a day".

He added: "There are people who need confined, particularly those who are offending, to help them get off their addictions."

Stating that this was Patterson's "final warning", he imposed a 12-month sentence suspended for three years, a two-month probation order and 60 hours' community service.