Patient caused criminal damage to blood pressure machine at Antrim Area Hospital

Blane Gordon (20), with an address listed as Rathmore Gardens in Antrim town, committed the offence on March 8 this year. A charge of being disorderly at the hospital on March 8 was withdrawn by a prosecutor.

A court heard the criminal damage charge was in relation to the defendant causing a "chip" to the casing of the monitor but the "functionality of the machine" was unaffected.

Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, heard the defendant was a patient at the hospital and became disorderly in the triage room and caused damage to medical equipment.

He "punched walls", was verbally abusive to staff and threw items onto the ground including the blood pressure machine. He was swearing and shouting in the presence of staff and patients.

After being "checked over" he was discharged from hospital, a prosecutor said. The prosecutor said when interviewed the defendant was "upset and remorseful". The defendant had a previous record.

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A defence solicitor said Gordon wished to apologise to staff and others for his behaviour at the hospital on March 8.

The lawyer said the defendant had been "struggling" with alcohol and had no recollection of what happened.

Deputy District Judge Alan White said if there had been significant damage to the machine he would have jailed Gordon.

Handing down Community Service, he told the defendant: "This is a last chance because courts just can't keep on not sending you into custody. You are young enough to put all this behind you if you get a grip of your own life and your own alcohol problem".