A hospital patient lied that he had the contagious disease hepatitis and tried to smear a nurse with blood. Jamie McAdam was abusive to another nurse and aggressive to a porter and security guard who tried to help.
The 36-year-old admitted assaulting four emergency workers at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan. A judge at Caernarfon Crown Court today jailed him for 14 months for each assault, with three running concurrently.
Prosecutor Amy Edwards said McAdam, of Princes Drive, Colwyn Bay, had been admitted to the hospital on December 5. He had taken a suspected opiod and was treated. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here
But he became abusive calling a member of staff a “s***” and another one a “d***”. He was spitting and biting.
When a cannula tube was put in to a vein and he pulled it out there was “blood everywhere”, said the prosecutor. He tried to smear a nurse with his blood and falsely claimed he had hepatitis, a contagious disease.
Later he was given a pot in which to urinate but knocked it out of a medic’s hand. She felt a sharp pain and believes he bit her too.
A porter tried to help but McAdam lashed out and spat at him. Then a security guard stepped in to help his workmates but the defendant tried to bite his hand.
Eventually, he was sedated although he was racially abusive to two doctors. Two hours later he was taken for a CT brain scan but lashed out at the same security guard.
He made his body go “limp” so he couldn’t be placed in a wheelchair. Finally he was told he could leave but refused to go.
Police were called and he gave no comment answers to questions. Sarah Yates, defending, said McAdam’s behaviour had been “abhorrent and appalling”.
He doesn’t have hepatitis, is utterly ashamed and wants to apologise. He had had a difficult start in life and became reliant on drink and drugs.
But he is more stable now and probation officers say they are willing to work with him. However the judge Her Honour Nicola Jones said two nurses, who believed him when he said he had hepatitis, were concerned about contagion.
She noted McAdam had trauma in his life and mental health difficulties. But she said the assaults in a hospital were so serious he must go straight to prison.
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