Omagh pensioner jailed for punching nurse

A 66-YEAR-OLD man from Omagh punched a female nurse who was treating him in the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen.

Tadeusz Lainge of Holmview Terrace was jailed for two months when he appeared before Omagh Magistrates Court.

The pensioner from Poland, who has lived in the area for 18 years, has no previous criminal convictions. He also admitted assaulting two police officers and resisting an officer in the course of his duty. The court was told he was highly intoxicated when he carried out the assaults and public order offences.

On the night of January 18, at approximately 10pm, police went to a public house in Omagh after receiving a report that a man had been assaulted. Lainge was lying on the floor bleeding from his face when the officers arrived. He was highly intoxicated and behaved aggressively as he was being helped to sit on a chair.

He refused to accept medical help and punched a police officer and was arrested. When put in the rear of a squad car, the pensioner continued to behave aggressively. As an officer put on his seatbelt, he punched and kicked him. At the hospital in Enniskillen he clenched his fists and tried to bite an officer’s hand and kicked him twice on the right side.

He then turned his aggression towards a female nurse and punched her ‘between her nose and her eye’ while he was wearing handcuffs. During interview he told police he could not remember any of the incident as he had been drinking heavily and apologised for his actions.

Defence solicitor Michael Fahy described the case as “a very unfortunate prosecution in all respects”.

He explained that Lainge has been in this jurisdiction 18 years and has two police cautions from 12 years ago but no previous convictions.

‘unruly behaviour’

Mr Fahy added, “He is very unfortunate to find himself in a criminal court for an allegation of this type. It is unusual for man of his age to be in court for such unruly behaviour, especially in a hospital.

“He is aware of the pressure on hospital staff in the present climate in what are extreme circumstances. Thankfully there were no injuries to the nurse. He concedes his behaviour in the hospital and when individuals attempted to help him in the lead up, was most unacceptable”.

Mr Fahy also stated that the defendant presented himself in sobriety as a “positive and pleasant gentleman” and pointed out he originally was the victim of an assault on the night.

Defence counsel added, “The pre-sentence report indicates he has a ‘low likelihood of re-offending’. The backdrop is he has no previous record at the age of 66. He is a man who has integrated well into the local community. He also accepted his guilt which avoided witnesses coming to court to give evidence”.

District Judge Bernie Kelly stated that the assault on a nurse rendered the offence “so serious” that she could only impose a custodial sentence. Taking into account the previous clear record and ‘guilty’ plea she sentenced Lainge to two months in jail.

After he was taken down and spent an hour in a court cell, the pensioner was brought back to the courtroom and granted bail to appeal against the sentence imposed.

He was released on bail of £500 and ordered to abstain from alcohol, stay out of premises that sell alcohol and told not to enter the hospital in Enniskillen.