Judge says courts take disorderly behaviour in hospitals very seriously
A judge said hospital staff are just trying to do their jobs to "keep all of us healthy" and they should not have to put up with disorderly behaviour.
District Judge Natasha Fitzsimons was speaking at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, where Chloe Moore (26), formerly of Mull Road in Antrim town but now of Alina Gardens in Dunmurry, pleaded guilty to being disorderly at Antrim Area Hospital and causing criminal damage to a PSNI cell van on August 25 in 2023.
A prosecutor said police were called to an address in Antrim town and when the defendant was taken to the hospital she was verbally abusive to hospital staff.
She was removed to a cell van and banged her head and smeared blood from her arms over the inside of the vehicle.
When taken back into the hospital the defendant was shouting and swearing and was abusive to hospital staff and police.
A defence barrister said the defendant is remorseful.
Handing down a four months jail term, suspended for a year, Judge Fitzsimons said: "This is a very serious offence because people who are just working in hospitals are just trying to do their jobs to keep all of us in society safe and healthy.
"So if people like you go in and cause this type of behaviour it is taken very seriously by the court."
Suspending the jail term the judge said she took into account the guilty plea, limited record, and the delay in the case coming to court.