Nurse punched by patient who was shouting and swearing in 'busy ward' at Antrim Area Hospital
A nurse was punched by a patient who was shouting and swearing in a "busy ward" at Antrim Area Hospital.
Jason Coulter (24), of Sandmount Drive in Galgorm, admitted assaulting the male nurse by punching them on the shoulder.
He also admitted being disorderly and possessing diazepam during the incident on August 4 last year.
A prosecutor told Antrim Magistrates Court sitting in Ballymena, the defendant had been brought to the hospital with a "suspected overdose" and was being "aggressive".
He was in a bed and when police arrived he began shouting and swearing in a ward. He had to be restrained by police. Sixty diazepam tablets were found around his bed.
Due to his disruption the defendant "had to be moved to a private room to safeguard other patients".
A defence barrister said the defendant is now living in a B&B and is engaging with the Mental Health Team and his medication has been "stabilised".
He said the defendant had been dealt with at court in February for other incidents around the same time last August when there had been a "stand-off with the police when he was holding a knife".
The barrister said the defendant had been in custody on remand from August to February and at the February court because he was "time served" he was put on Probation.
For the offences before Tuesday's court, District Judge Nigel Broderick said there was "every reason" why the defendant should be jailed for assaulting a nurse "as the courts will not tolerate the physical abuse of hospital staff" but he said there seems to have been some "positive feedback" from the Probation Order given in February.
The judge deferred sentencing on the current charges until September with conditions that the defendant must not re-offend and he must "engage positively" with Probation.