Jail term for abuse of staff atGransha hospital

A PPS solicitor said police attended the hospital on July 21, when staff reported that Kieran Masterton, of Drumard Park, had smashed glass windows in a hospital door. Police were again called to Gransha on July 27, after Mr Masterton threatened a doctor and nurse.

During the incident, Mr Masterton became threatening towards the doctor, stating: “Come out here now, I’ll show you how hard you are,” the court heard. Later on the same day he was also reported to have threatened a male nurse with a butter knife, shouting: “What the f**k are you looking at,” the PPS solicitor told the court.

On August 28 Mr Masterton was also found to be in possession of a knife outside his home. Defence for Mr Masterton told the court how they defendant was subject to a suspended sentence and realised he was in a “very precarious position”. He told the court how in July his client had been a patient at Granhsa. Psychiatry reports for Mr Masterton indicated he had been displaying symptoms of drug-induced psychosis, the defence solicitor said.

District Judge Barney McElholm said the case: “Highlights the requirement for this jurisdiction to have some secure facility to treat people with drink and drug addiction issues”.

He imposed three month jail terms for all the charges, to run concurrently.