A patient repeatedly spat on the floor of a busy hospital before causing £500-worth of damage to equipment.
Kane Lidierth was being assessed in the A&E department at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary when he flew into a rage. A court heard that the police were called by concerned staff as the 21-year-old's behaviour continued to escalate.
Magistrates were told that Lidierth pulled a panic alarm off the wall and "kicked and punched" other parts of the room he was in, damaging a reset panel and putting a large dent in a unit. Despite numerous warnings, Lidierth continued to spit on the floor and be aggressive, which frightened other patients.
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Now, the mindless vandal, of Grasswell Drive, in Kenton, has been given a 12-month community order and must pay £500 compensation after he pleaded guilty to a public order offence and criminal damage.
Prosecutor, James Long, told Newcastle Magistrates' Court that officers were called to the RVI on September 3 last year, where Lidierth was being held in an assessment room. Mr Long added: "The defendant is increasingly aggressive and damages a panic alarm by pulling it off the wall.
"He then kicked and punched other parts of the room, during which he kicked a restart panel and caused a large dent in a unit. Compensation of £500 is sought for that. It's also apparent the defendant has been spitting on the floor of the hospital and acting aggressively."
Magistrates were told that after years of coming before the courts, Lidierth was finally making positive changes in his life. Ruth Foster, defending, continued: "After eight years working with probation, this is the first time they have had anything positive to say about him.
"This is the first time he's attended court in a shirt and a decent pair of trousers as he wants to show that he's changing and taking responsibility for himself and his actions."
