A Lurgan man has been given a suspended prison sentence at Craigavon Magistrates Court after he attacked a nurse with a crutch while he was a patient at Craigavon Area Hospital.

The incident happened on 18 June last year in the acute medical unit. Peter Christopher Graham, 56, of Mark Street, Lurgan, struck the nurse multiple times on the right side of her face and jaw with the crutch. She raised her right forearm to defend herself and was struck a further four times, suffering a laceration, swelling and bruising to her jaw and forearm, as well as an injury to her right middle finger.

Police were called to the hospital after a report of a nurse being assaulted. When officers arrived, the defendant was being restrained in his bed by security staff.

Graham later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. In police interview, he made full admissions but said he had no memory of the assault because he was heavily medicated while receiving treatment for alcohol withdrawal. He told officers he thought someone was going to kill him and was oblivious to events.

The court heard that Graham had since engaged with Community Addictions and Extern services and had written a letter of apology to the victim. His barrister, Conor Lunny, said his client had been going through severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms and described the case as particularly bad. He urged a non-custodial sentence, noting the sincerity of the apology.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan referred to a victim impact statement which showed the nurse had returned to work but the incident had left a very significant impact on her. He acknowledged that Graham had made progress with addiction services and had no further offending during a deferral period. For the assault, he imposed a sentence of seven months in prison suspended for 12 months. For possessing the crutch as an offensive weapon, he imposed a concurrent four-month suspended sentence. A compensation order of £750 was also made, which Graham brought to court.