A 19-YEAR-OLD man who admitted punching a doctor and shoving a nurse backwards after she tried to stop him urinating in the basin of a hospital cubicle has been fined £700.
Assistant Magistrate Sarah Fitz told Ethan Peter Double that assaulting hospital staff could result in a prison sentence, but accepted his defence that his medication for ADHD mixed with alcohol had affected his behaviour.
The Magistrate’s Court heard that in the early hours of 4 February this year, Double had fallen down close to the cycle racks in Liberation Square, and struck his head.
States police officers on foot patrol went to his assistance and Advocate Katie Ridley, prosecuting, said: ‘The defendant was unconscious and unresponsive.’
After three minutes, he came round and was taken to the Emergency Department at the Hospital.
‘Paramedics assessed him as heavily intoxicated,’ Advocate Ridley said. ‘He was sick several times on his legs and repeatedly spat on the floor.’ Double then fell asleep for half an hour and was taken to a hospital cubicle, where he attempted to urinate in a basin.
A nurse told him to stop, and he pushed her with both hands, with enough force to make her step backwards. The nurse summoned a doctor and the advocate said: ‘The defendant threw several punches, aiming at the doctor’s face. They connected with his chest and shoulder.’ Neither suffered lasting injuries.
Double was arrested and said he could not recall throwing up or trying to urinate in the basin.
When he first appeared in court on 27 March, he pleaded not guilty to the two charges of assault and had been due to stand trial. But in court yesterday,(THURS), he changed his plea to both.
Advocate Lucy Marks, defending, told the court that Double was taking medication for ADHD and had not been warned against drinking alcohol at the same time. ‘He found that his medication exacerbates the effects of alcohol,’ she said. She added: ‘He deeply regrets what happened. He has always been apologetic.’
The Assistant Magistrate said: ‘What we have here is a mixture of alcohol, ADHD medication and concussion.’ She said the offences ‘cross the custodial threshold’ but instead agreed to impose a fine of £500 for punching the doctor and £200 for shoving the nurse.
She told Double that she hoped ‘we will not be seeing you in court ever again’. ‘Be very careful with alcohol,’ she added.
