‘Wheelchair-bound’... but fugitive leapt up and ran after medics
Man wanted in US fined for abusing hospital staff
A MAN accused of being a fugitive wanted for sex crimes in America has been convicted of threatening staff at a Scots hospital.
Arthur Knight, 35, forced a nurse and consultant to flee to another ward after becoming aggressive at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Knight is alleged to be Nicholas Rossi, who is wanted in the US over accusations of sexual assault.
He is facing separate extradition proceedings to return him to America.
At Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday, Knight was found guilty of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on July 5.
Sheriff Joseph Platt said the Crown witnesses gave their evidence in an ‘understated way’ and ‘there was no exaggeration’. He said the evidence that wheelchair-user Knight cannot stand ‘was not credible’. Knight was fined £400. The charge he was convicted on states that Knight also goes by other names, including Nicholas Rossi, Nicholas Alahverdian, Nicholas Brown, Arthur Winston Brown and Arthur Knight Brown.
He is on bail from Edinburgh Sheriff Appeal Court, where he faces extradition to the US in relation to an alleged sex attack.
Knight has been stated in court as being a registered sex offender in the US.
He is also accused of other crimes including fraud and sexual battery.
Yesterday, hospital consultant Evelyn Millar said Knight jumped out of bed and ran at her and nurse Yasmin Bagli. Both staff members said this happened after Knight was told he was fit to be discharged.
They added that Knight, who uses an oxygen mask, was also verbally abusive.
Dr Millar, 58, stated that her patient was known to her as ‘Arthur Knight Brown’. She said she was able to speak to Knight, who was lying in bed, on her third attempt with Miss Bagli as he had been asleep. She told prosecutor Julie Clark: ‘When he spoke he had an oxygen mask on and it’s difficult to be clear.
‘I wasn’t sure what he was going to say but we listened to him and he made it clear he was not happy with the care we were giving him and not happy about the prospect of being medically discharged.’
Dr Millar stated Knight then used ‘obscenities’, including the ‘F word’ several times.
She said: ‘He became more aggressive... He leapt off the bed and started coming towards us – he came off the bed at a very rapid speed.
‘He was inches from our faces, we were utterly terrified, we thought he was coming to harm us. Yasmin said “run” and I said “yes” and we literally ran from the room – it was extremely frightening.’
Miss Clark asked if Knight had his oxygen mask on. Dr Millar replied: ‘As he came towards us the mask came off, he was saying a lot without the oxygen mask being on.’
She said she ran because she thought she was ‘going to be put in harm’. Miss Bagli locked herself in a different ward for her safety after the incident.
Knight denied ‘shouting aggressively and swearing’ and calling the nurses derogatory names.
‘We were utterly terrified’