A violent Covid-19 patient has pleaded guilty to assaulting two nurses and attacking a window with hospital equipment after refusing treatment.
Police had to physically restrain Jake Brinley-Chambers after he subjected staff at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Derby Road to a violent outburst.
The 23-year-old, of no fixed address, had tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday (2 February) and nurses were trying to prevent him from leaving the ward and spreading the virus at around 7.45am.
But instead he grabbed one of the nurses as she tried to care for him and pushed her away which caused bruising. He then pushed another nurse who also tried to intervene with both hands.
Brinley-Chambers then picked up a chair and a drip stand and attacked a hospital window causing it to crack.
Two response constables from Radford Road quickly arrived having been called by security staff and made the arrest despite Brinley-Chambers trying to resist.
The officers are now having to self-isolate for ten days due to prolonged close contact with him.
He was then remanded to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Wednesday 3 February) where he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and criminal damage.
He was given a 20-day community order and ordered to pay a £140 fine and £300 compensation.
Superintendent Mat Healey, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We were appalled by this incident and welcome how quickly the case it was investigated and brought before the courts.
“No emergency service worker should have to endure abuse as they go about their job, and especially those who are working hard on the front line to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our hospital colleagues and officers are selflessly putting themselves at risk every day to care for and protect the public and it’s shocking that they have to encounter people like this who are spreading the virus, irresponsibly refusing treatment and infecting others.
“We continue to support our healthcare colleagues as we take part in possibly the biggest fight any of us will ever face, and we will protect them in any way we can.”
Sarah Moppett, Interim Chief Nurse at Nottingham City Hospitals, said: “We will not tolerate violence, aggression or abuse towards our staff.
“Our staff continue to work tirelessly to be there when our communities need us, in what are exceptionally difficult circumstances. So that we can carry on being there for the public, we need their support; not violence or aggression.
“We are supporting the staff affected by this incident and we wish to thank Nottinghamshire Police for their prompt and effective response and support. We also thank our Security Officers who arrived at the scene within three minutes of the call being placed internally, and assisted the Police.”
Key workers from across Nottinghamshire came together in a video in a bid to make a stand against all of the abuse they had endured on the front line while fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
