Racially abusive language used towards a nurse at Craigavon Hospital 'couldn't have been worse', says judge
Racially abusive language used towards a nurse at Craigavon Hospital “couldn't have been worse”, a judge has said.
A 36-year-old woman, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
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Sarah Hamilton, from Plantation Road, Craigavon, pleaded guilty to assaulting a nurse at Craigavon Area Hospital.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan asked Hamilton’s barrister, Mr Conor Coulter, if her presentation was better than her last appearance at court.
Mr Coulter said she is “extremely nervous but certainly her behaviour is fine”.
Police attended Craigavon Area Hospital on November 3 last year in the early hours of the morning after reports of a patient causing a disturbance.
A Prosecutor revealed the defendant "was causing a nuisance” and had “racially abused a staff nurse”.
“You may see reference in the statement,” said the Prosecutor. "She stated he was not from this country and should go home.”
"The nurse in charge has intervened and challenged the defendant’s behaviour. The defendant has then threatened the nurse in charge saying she would ‘punch his teeth out’ putting him in fear of violence,” said the Prosecutor.
She was cautioned by police and a voluntary interview was to be arranged upon the defendant’s discharge from hospital.
“However she stated she was too unwell to attend and struggled to leave her home,” said the Prosecutor.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: “I will not repeat the language which was used and it couldn’t be worse.”
Mr Coulter said his client had "fled a relationship in which she was abused, physically and financially controlled” last year.
“She returned home from England to Lurgan with little support. She was homeless at the time of this offending,” said the barrister, adding she had serious mental health issues.
He said she has “very little recollection” of the incident and no “plausible” explanation other than she had been consuming alcohol and abusing prescription drugs.
He revealed Hamilton has contact with her parents and engages with her GP but there is an “ongoing need for input from mental health services”.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: “I see a lot of fake tears in this court. They’re not fake.”
He sentenced her to five months in prison suspended for 12 months.