Drunken patient jailed for spitting

A drunken patient who spat at a doctor and nurse when they tried to stop him smoking in hospital was locked up yesterday.

Ian Clark was branded “absolutely appalling” by a sheriff who said he had to send a message out about the safety of frontline NHS staff.

Sheriff Thomas Hughes said: “Particularly at this time, it is well known that the public have enormous respect for NHS workers.

“In particular, those in A&E are in the frontline and have a very difficult job and the last thing they need is someone coming in and causing disruption because they have taken drink.

“The court has an obligation to these people to make sure they can go about their jobs in a safe environment and not be subject to violence and obstruction to the work they are trying to do to help society.

“You had no regard to that whatsoever. This was absolutely appalling.

“It is very hard to see how I can avoid a custodial sentence for these offences.”

Clark, 62, had sentence deferred for reports after he admitted assaulting a consultant in Ninewells Hospital on March 22. He admitted kicking the doctor and spitting at him. He also admitted trying to spit on a charge nurse.

Depute fiscal John Richardson told Dundee Sheriff Court Clark was taken to Ninewells with a head injury, having been found in the street, drunk. He became “difficult to deal with”, was moved to an individual bay to stop him upsetting other patients and started to light up a cigarette.

Mr Richardson said: “This caused a certain amount of alarm because there are various containers and oxygen tanks.

“The consultant intervened to take the cigarette.”

He kicked the doctor and spat towards the staff before he could be restrained and police called.

Solicitor Ross Bennett, defending, said Clark had downed half a bottle of whisky and had little recollection of what happened but was worried about spending time in prison.

He said Clark had returned to the hospital the day after to apologise. Sheriff Hughes replied: “So what?”

As he was being led away to the cells, Clark said: “I’m the most compassionate man in the world.”