Patient who was disorderly at Antrim Area Hospital has sentencing deferred
A man who admitted being disorderly at Antrim Area Hospital has had sentencing deferred for a year to see if he can stay out of trouble.
Blane Gordon (22), with an address listed as Rathmore Gardens in Antrim town, committed the offence on November 12 last year.
On the same day he also caused criminal damage to his Housing Executive property. Police attended and took him to the hospital where he was shouting and swearing at officers in front of other patients.
Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, was told the defendant was in breach of a suspended jail term he had been given for causing criminal damage to a blood pressure monitor at Antrim Area Hospital.
On that occasion he had "punched walls", was verbally abusive to staff; and had thrown items onto the ground including the blood pressure machine. He was swearing and shouting in the presence of staff and patients.
At Tuesday's court a defence solicitor said a reference on behalf of the defendant was sent to the court by a pastor.
The lawyer said the incidents in November occurred around the anniversary of the death of the defendant's daughter and he had been drinking and had described himself as "blackout drunk". The court was told the defendant has been to rehab and is off drink.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said jail sentences are often given for incidents at hospitals but he said he would defer sentencing until March next year to see if the defendant can stay out of trouble.
He said there were "some glimmers of hope" in the reference from a "community pastor" at Antrim Baptist Church.