Man blames medication for assaults on hospital staff

Friday 21 July 2023

A man who punched a doctor and shoved a nurse while being treated in hospital has admitted assault - and blamed the effects of consuming alcohol while on medication.

The Magistrate's Court heard that Peter Ethan Double (19) had fallen in the street and struck his head in the early hours of 4 February this year.

Police officers on foot patrol went to help and Advocate Katie Ridley, prosecuting, said: "The defendant was unconscious and unresponsive."

He was taken to accident and emergency at the General Hospital and she added: "Paramedics assessed him as heavily intoxicated. 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.

She summoned a doctor and the advocate said: "He threw several punches, aiming at his face. They connected with his chest and shoulder."

When arrested Double said he could not recall throwing up or trying to urinate in the basin, and at his first court appearance in March he pleaded not guilty to the two assaults.

A trial had been scheduled but he entered guilty pleas in court yesterday and Advocate Lucy Marks, defending, said: "It was not at the first appearance but it was a valuable guilty plea."

She 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. "He deeply regrets what happened. He has always been apologetic."

Assistant Magistrate said Sarah Fitz said: "What we have here is a mixture of alcohol, ADHD medication and concussion."

She said the offence "crosses the custodial threshold", but agreed to impose a fine of £500 for punching the doctor and £200 for shoving the nurse.

She told Double: "I hope we will not be seeing you in court ever again. Be very careful with alcohol."