Man jailed for hospital attack on police officer
A HOSPITAL patient who attacked a police officer arresting him after he threatened to murder people has been jailed.
Staff at the Princess Royal Community Hospital in Greenhead called police because of Liam Fitzgerald’s alarming behaviour.
He was being treated there shortly after 4pm on November 26 and started acting in “an unusual way and saying he wanted to murder people”, prosecutor Vanessa Jones said.
She told Kirklees Magistrates’ Court that the officers went to speak with the homeless 23-yearold but he appeared angry and told them to ‘f*** off ’ before repeatedly punching himself to the head with a clenched fist.
Mrs Jones said: “One of the officers grabbed his wrists and the other tried to put handcuffs on him.
“While that was happening he bit the officer’s hand and spat at him, the spittle hitting him on the shoulder.
“He was detained and a spit and bite guard was put on to prevent him from assaulting anybody.”
Mrs Jones said that the attacked officer was distressed by what happened.
She also read the Huddersfield court a statement from the West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Dee Collins, who told how assaults on police officers have an impact upon police and public resources.
Ms Collins said: “Assaults to police officers do result in sickness leave and puts extra strain on other officers working.
“Just because they are police officers it is not part of their job to be assaulted.”
Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty. The offence put him in breach of his post-sentence supervision order.
Sonia Kidd, mitigating, explained that her client suffered from mental health issues and when he attended at the hospital he didn’t feel like staff were listening to him or taking him seriously.
She said: “He became frustrated and made the comments which were clearly inappropriate and resulted in police attending.
“He got himself so worked up that he has little recollection but he didn’t form the decision to bite.”
Magistrates were told that Fitzgerald did have accommodation at Clare House hostel but has now lost it and is back living on the streets.
Magistrates told him that the offence was so serious that they felt only a custodial sentence could be justified.
Chairman of the bench Richard Fearnley said: “This was a serious assault on police in the execution of their duty.
“We certainly won’t tolerate spitting and biting police officers.
“The offence was in a hospital and threatening. There’s also the public perception of what should happen.”
Fitzgerald was jailed for 18 weeks. He will have to pay £115 victim surcharge upon his release from custody.