Human Rights Abuse in Australian Institution

A photo was published on 16th March 2009 showing an Australian residential care worker found asleep in a resident’s bed. A carer kicked a severely disabled woman out of her bed, changed into her own pyjamas, climbed into the woman’s bed and went to sleep.

The carer was discovered ion the morning by another support worker who was to replace her on the morning shift. The disabled woman was sitting in the kitchen all night. The residential care centre conducted an external investigation of the incident. The carer was cautioned and returned to overnight shifts.

This is a perfect example of human rights abuse, as the fact that the carer kicked out a resident out of her own bed didn’t matter – all that was investigated was the fact that the carer slept during her shift, which potentially endangered the residents.

Motorist parked in disabled space

From the Connaught Telegraph March 31st Edition

Motorist parked in disabled space

A SLIGO man with 13 previous traffic convictions was sentenced to 28 days imprisonment at Ballina Co. Mayo district Court last week.
The court heard Gregory Lynagh, Cullens, Sligo, was parked in a disabled parking bay at Abbey Street, Ballina, when Garda Martin McNicholas observed that his vehicle had no insurance disc or NCT disc.
The tax disc had expired in June of 2006. The defendant had 13 previous traffic convictions. The defendant told Judge Mary Devins he was parked in the disabled bay for 5 minutes when he went to buy a bag of chips.
There was no parking elsewhere in the area. He said he was unemployed and lived on his own in Dromore West. Judge Mary Devins told the defendant he could park his car elsewhere and walked to the chip shop instead of parking in a disabled bay.
She fined him €1,000 for not having insurance and disqualified him from driving for 5 years and sentenced him to 28 days imprisonment.
In relation to not having his car taxed, no NCT or driving license, Judge Devins fined the defendant a total of €900.

Mayo advertiser April 17, 2009

Mayo advertiser April 17, 2009

Newport woman to appeal disqualification for parking in disabled spot

Recognizance was fixes to appeal the sentence handed down by judge Devins to a Newport woman who she disqualified from driving for a year for parking in a disabled space.

Lena Mulchrone Derrylahan Newport, Co Mayo who was not in court or represented at the original hearing applied to the court to fix recognizance to appeal the circuit court which was granted.

Judge Devins asked Mulchrone you were supposed to appear in Castlebar Distict Court on April 1, why did you not show up? To which Mulchrone replied I was stressed out at the time and had a lot going on in my head and forgot about it. However Judge Devins was less than sympatric and replied; So stressed out that I convicted you of parking in a disabled space and you weren’t here you can tell that to the circuit court when you appeal.

Judge Devins fixed recognizance at €500 and an €1,000.

Connaught Telegraph 2nd June 2009

Woman drivers disqualified for parking in disabled bays
Two female motorists who parked in disabled bays in a Castlebar car park have each been put off the road for one year.

A van belonging to Mary Collins of 35 Lui na Greine, a disabled space in the Castlebar Street car park in June 5 last. Her vehicle wasn’t displayed a permit. A fixed penalty notice is –sued, but wasn’t paid. In the second case, a vehicle owned by Lena Mulchrone from Derrylahan, Newport was found in a disabled space in the same car park on June 30 without a valid permit. Similarly, a ticked issued but wasn’t paid. Both women were fined €300 by Judge Mary Devins plus €150 costs and they were banned from driving for one year.