I’LL DIG UP YOUR MUM

Court told of man’s sick threat to hospital worker

A MAN who assaulted four hospital security staff and threatened to dig up one victim’s dead mother has avoided prison.

Stephen Kennedy, 34, was given 18 months’ probation and 100 hours’ community service for the outburst.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard he kicked out and tried to bite staff at the city’s Royal Victoria Hospital.

He also threatened to attack the teenage daughter of a staff member who described it as one of the worst cases of verbal abuse in his time at the hospital.

Police were called to the scene last October 4 amid reports of a violent man in A&E.

A prosecution lawyer said Kennedy assaulted four security guards who tried to intervene when he became loud and abusive.

He squared up to them, kicking and attempting to bite them as efforts were made to restrain him.

The lawyer said: “One of the injured parties said [Kennedy] threatened to attack his daughter and to dig up his dead mother who he said he hoped died from cancer.”

Kennedy, of Saintfield Road in Castlereagh, later apologised for his behaviour and during police interviews he said he had no recollection of the incident.

He claimed his last memory was drinking in

YESTERDAY

Belfast and then waking up in a police cell.

A defence lawyer said there was no excuse for his client’s actions and added: “He has instructed me to apologise unreservedly to all individuals for his conduct that evening.

“At that juncture he was completely off the rails, and even living on the streets sometimes.”

District Judge Fiona Bagnall, who was told Kennedy has since turned his life around, imposed the probation and community service order.