Judge ‘unimpressed’ by mental health facility
A judge has said he is unimpressed a mental health facility has not responded to correspondence directed by the court.
District Judge Barney McElholm made the comment as the case of 25-year-old Mark John Page was mentioned at the local magistrates court.
Page, whose address was given on court papers as Thompson House, Antrim Road, Belfast, is charged with exposing his genitals on August 23, 2010.
The court heard that Page is currently detained at a mental health facility and will not be released unless an appeal to a mental health tribunal is successful.
The hearing is listed for next month, however the 25-year-old was due to contest the charge of exposure at Derry Magistrates Court earlier this week.
The court heard that both defence and prosecution solicitors had written to the mental health facility, on the direction of the judge,to see if Page would be produced to court.
However, the judge was told the correspondence was ignored and the defendant would not be produced.
It was revealed that Page is accused of committing offences of a similar nature in Belfast and other districts in Northern Ireland.
Mr McElholm said ignoring requests for information was “gravely discourteous” to the court and said he would witness summons an administrator from the facility “to explain”.
He added that the case needed to be moved on and he was “not impressed that there has been no response to the letters”.
The case was adjourned and is to be mentioned again in the defendants absence later this morning.
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Weather for Derry
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
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