A VISITOR to Warrington Hospital has been hauled before the courts over his behaviour while on the premises.

Jody Leigh admitted that his actions were threatening in nature, and that he assaulted a member of security by spitting.

The 43-year-old was due to stand trial at Warrington Magistrates’ Court, having pleaded guilty to common assault of an emergency worker, but not guilty to use threatening behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence.

However, he changed his plea to guilty on the latter charge, with the court proceeding to sentence him.

Lynne Sayers, representing the prosecution, spoke of how both offences were committed on May 2 this year.

While at Warrington Hospital, Leigh used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause a person to believe that immediate unlawful violence would be used against them.

He also assaulted a security officer at the Lovely Lane site by spitting at him.

Magistrates concluded that the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified in this case.

They deemed the attack to be unprovoked and of a serious nature, adding that the defendant has a ‘flagrant disregard for court orders’.

The offences were committed in a hospital setting on staff doing their job, with vulnerable people in the vicinity.

They also occurred while the defendant was in drink and the subject of a community order, with the assault involving spitting, and he has a previous record for similar offences.

Leigh, of Lovely Lane in Bewsey, was sentenced to eight weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay compensation of £300.