A drunk thug subjected a paramedic to racist abuse after threatening to bite and stab a hospital guard’s face.
Arron Wilson launched a tirade against staff at Arrowe Park Hospital last year after going on an overnight booze bender. The 43-year-old later kicked and spat at police as he was arrested, Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard today.
He later told officers he couldn’t remember the incident and he couldn’t possibly have punched the guard because he was a boxer and his aim was so good he wouldn’t have missed his face. Simon Leong, prosecuting, said Wilson, from Birkenhead, had drunk vodka throughout the night before calling for an ambulance shortly before midday on September 11 due to “feeling unstable”.
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After being taken to Arrowe Park and assessed he was asked to sit in the waiting room until he could be treated. However, Wilson became aggressive and soon began shouting and swearing.
Darren Clarke, a guard at the hospital, came up to him to try to calm him down but Wilson’s behaviour continued to escalate. Mr Clarke then tried to remove him from the waiting area but Wilson hit him and shouted “f*** off or I will bite your f***ing face” and “f*** off, I will stab you all” before punching Mr Clarke in the arm.
He was then led outside and put on the floor while police were called, continuing to kick, spit and punch while being restrained. Wilson was then seen by Sophie Haynes-Garcia, the paramedic who had brought him to the hospital shortly earlier.
Mr Leong said: “She crouched down to bring herself to Mr Wilson’s level to him to calm down. He took against this and shouted racial abuse at her. She asked if the abuse was aimed at her and he said it was.”
Police arrived and arrested Wilson but after they put him in the van he started spitting in the back of it, meaning it had to be deep cleaned before it could be used again. Questioned by officers, Wilson first reeled off a bizarre list of denials.
When asked about his abuse of Ms Garcia, he said he wouldn’t have been racist to her because he had black family members. When asked about the punch, he said his experience as a boxer meant he wouldn’t have hit Mr Clarke’s arm because he had better aim than that. When shown photos of the damaged police van, Wilson said he couldn't have caused it because he didn't produce enough saliva to spit that much. Later, he pleaded guilty to racially aggravated abuse of Ms Haynes-Garcia, the abuse and assault of Mr Clarke and criminal damage he caused to the police van.
Ms Haynes-Garcia said the racial abuse was not the first she had received as a pandemic and said each incident forced her to change how she did her job on a daily basis. Sinead Fearon, defending, said Wilson was deeply ashamed of himself and now fully accepted responsibility for what he did.
She said: “The defendant does not try to dispute any of the facts now. He does not try to minimise his behaviour.” Ms Fearon added that he had sought help for his problems with alcohol and was committed to addressing it. She said: “Through me, he apologises profusely to the people involved who had to experience his nasty and obnoxious behaviour that day.”
Magistrates agreed to suspend his ten week jail term but he must also complete an alcohol treatment program, 15 rehabilitation days and follow a curfew from 7pm to 7am for the next 12 weeks. Wilson, of Clifton Road, must also pay £100 compensation each to Ms Haynes-Garcia and Mr Clarke and pay prosecution and police costs.
