Patient spat at security guard
AN aggressive patient has been fined after he spat on a hospital security guard.
Craig Russell was an inpatient at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary when he woke up one morning and lost his temper.
The 46-year-old then spotted police officers, who had attended the hospital for an unrelated incident, and flew further into a rage, a court heard.
Russell began shouting abuse and pulling wires from his body, despite numerous attempts by nurses to calm him down.
Russell then spat on a security guard.
But the outburst proved costly for Russell, of Queens Terrace, in Jesmond, after he
appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court to admit one count of assault and a public order offence.
Prosecutor, Rebecca Gibson, said of the incident on August 4 last year: “The defendant woke up and began pulling wires off him. He was asked to take a seat.
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He refused and said ‘I can’t be a **** .’
“He was asked politely again. He didn’t listen and continued to take wires off his body.
“He was saying to the police officers ‘What you looking at? F ***** g dummies.’...The defendant was displaying aggressive behaviour.”
The court heard that Russell had 135 offences on his record and was last jailed in 2018 for burglary.
Adrian Ions, defending, said Russell’s criminal career had slowed down after only committing one offence in the last seven years.
Magistrates fined unemployed Russell £60 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge. 4 nights at the 3-star Britannia Hotel, Aberdeen with dinner & breakfast Free Whisky Galore excursion (Speyside Cooperage, Glenfiddich Distillery & Bells Blair Athol Distillery) Free excursions to Ballater, Crathes Castle, Stonehaven & Dunnottar Castle Included visit to Edinburgh