Five months jail for drunken rampage in Altnagelvin Hospital
Caomhin McConnell (31) pleaded guilty to assaulting three nurses and a porter, to attempting to cause criminal damage to a hospital chair and to threatening to damage hospital equipment
A man who went on a drunken rampage inside Altnagelvin Hospital's accident and emergency department earlier this year after staff refused his demand for a private room with a television, has been jailed for five months at Derry Magistrate's Court.
Caomhin McConnell (31) from Glenowen Park in Derry pleaded guilty to assaulting three nurses and a porter, to attempting to cause criminal damage to a hospital chair by kicking it around the department and to threatening to damage hospital equipment by ripping it off a wall.
A solicitor for the Public Prosecution Service told Deputy District Judge Alan White that McConnell arrived in the hospital in the early hours of February 27. He sat on a chair eating from a bag of crisps and when approached by an auxiliary nurse he "demanded a private room with a television.
"When he was told that was not possible, he became very aggressive towards the auxiliary nurse, verbally abused the staff member and swung his fist at her. He was then approached by a hospital porter and acted in an aggressive manner towards him saying - I could kick your head in. I am a boxer and I could beat you up.
"When another nurse approached him he threatened to get a knife and said he would rip her eyes out so that she would never see her children again. He then proceeded to attempt to pull items off the wall and he kicked the chair several times.
"Among the patients in the accident and emergency department at the time were three elderly patients, one of whom was terminally ill. He was asked several times to moderate his behaviour in front of these patients but he refused to do so", the prosecutor said.
Solicitor Paddy MacDermott told the Deputy District Judge "there is nothing good to be said about his behaviour. It was absolutely disgraceful and disgusting. He now accepts his behaviour was wholly inappropriate and he is remorseful for his actions and apologises to the hospital staff. He has been in custody for the last ten weeks since he was arrested for these offences".
Mr. White said he was "compelled to give him some credit for his pleas of guilty" and he imposed a five month jail sentence.