Six months jail sentence for Co Down patient who was verbally abusive to staff in 'vicinity of his hospital bed'
A patient who shouted and swore at staff in the "vicinity of his hospital bed" at Antrim Area Hospital on Christmas Eve has been given a six months jail term.
Johnny Doherty (31), of Windmill Park in Ballynahinch, appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena.
The court was told that at 10.15pm on December 24 in 2023 police attended Antrim Hospital where the defendant was "aggressive towards staff".
Police noted he was being "verbally abusive to staff members in the vicinity of his hospital bed. He was shouting 'Republican B' at a member of staff".
He appeared intoxicated and refused to co-operate with anyone who was trying to speak to him.
A prosecutor added: "Numerous requests were made for him to calm down due to other vulnerable hospital patients being present." He continued to shout and swear at staff and police.
A defence barrister said the defendant had been the "victim of very serious, quite vicious, assaults" and was left with facial scarring and had a "stab wound".
The lawyer said the defendant had been driven by people who "threw him out of the car at the hospital" and was in a "very serious, very vulnerable, state as a result of the attack" but "obviously that is no excuse for his behaviour towards people who were trying to assist him".
District Judge Nigel Broderick said a report showed the defendant had been "brought in by ambulance earlier in the day and refused to co-operate with any assessment".
Judge Broderick jailed the defendant, who had a record and was in breach of a suspended jail term, for six months.
The defendant had bail in the sum of £500 fixed for appeal.