Jail terms for attacks on health staff
Jail terms for attacks on health staff
Two violent thugs were jailed in Scotland last week for separate vicious attacks on health service workers. UNISON member Lynn Sutherland was punched and kicked by a 17-year-old, after responding to a 999 call to his house last September. She was so badly hurt that she was unable to work for six months. Graham Donnelly was sentenced to 18 months at Hamilton Sherriff's court. UNISON said the sentence might help 'stem the rising tide of violence against our members.' The court heard Donnelly's mother had called an ambulance after her son had consumed a cocktail of drink and drugs. But he attacked Sutherland, injuring her so badly that she has only recently returned to work, and is currently performing light duties. Passing sentence, Sheriff Marie Saint said: 'It has to be made clear that paramedics and other emergency service officers will be protected from this kind of behaviour.' Lynn Sutherland said: 'I was off work for six months after this assault. If it hadn't been for the support I got from UNISON, this whole incident would have been even more traumatic.' Kidney dialysis patient Donald Gibson, 37, was given a nine month jail term for abusing nursing staff at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. The convicted rapist was sentenced at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on charges of aggravated assault and racial abuse. He had previously pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to assaulting nurse David Walker in April and of racially insulting hospital security guard Martin Schulz in October. Sheriff Gordon Liddle sentenced Gibson to six months for assaulting Mr Walker and three months for racially abusing Mr Schulz. The sentences are to run consecutively.
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