Man jailed after over 'appalling' abuse of doctor and staff nurse at Sunderland Royal Hospital

Clinton Ruddy, who is blacklisted from centres and surgeries due to previous bad behaviour, was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital after being found "highly intoxicated" in the street last August and was admitted to a ward for observation.

Newcastle Crown Court heard when a doctor went to check on him he was met with sickening racist abuse and threats which left him terrified.

And when a staff nurse stepped in to try and calm the situation, Ruddy elbowed him in the chest.

Judge Stephen Earl jailed the 37-year-old, said what happened was "appalling" and added: "The doctor was doing his best to assist you.

"Nobody goes to work to be assaulted, nobody goes to work to be threatened they are going to be killed for doing their job.

"This took place during a pandemic, when doctors and nurses are working flat out to protect members of the public.

"They are entitled to our protection as emergency workers, as people who are already under the cosh."

Prosecutor Liam O'Brien told the court Ruddy had been taken to hospital in the early hours of the morning and put onto a ward so he could be monitored.

It was shortly before 6am a doctor went to check on him.

Mr O'Brien said: "The defendant was asleep at that stage and the doctor placed his hand on the defendant's shoulder and gently sought to rouse him."The defendant awoke and racially abused the doctor."The doctor was shocked and decided he would not treat him after that."He saw the defendant had got up and was removing the monitoring patches placed on him.

"The defendant looked straight at the doctor and threatened to kill him.

"He was acting aggressively and ran towards the doctor, shouting 'I will ****** kill you."

Mr O'Brien said the doctor was "terrified" and added: "He thought he was going to come to significant harm for doing no more than trying to make sure that the defendant was ok."

The court heard the staff nurse suffered pain when he was elbowed in the chest and security were called.

Ruddy, of The Elms West, Sunderland, admitted racially aggravated common assault and assault on an emergency worker.

He also admitted unrelated charges of theft and burglary.

And he pleaded guilty to two offences of assault in relation to two attacks in one day on a former partner in December 2019.

The court heard Ruddy had "ragged her around" by the arms and started strangling her during the offences, which left her "petrified".

Ruddy was jailed for a total of three-and-a-half years.

Barry Robson, defending, said Ruddy panicked when he was woke up at the hospital but has "no excuses" for his behaviour.

Mr Robson added: "He has been barred from just about every medical facility and hospital in Sunderland.

"He has been blacklisted by his family doctor because of the trouble he has caused when he has been to the surgery.

"He is only allowed to use one pharmacy, it is the only one that will put up with his antics."

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