Surgeon cuffed police custody runaway at Raigmore Hospital

A surgeon at the Accident and Emergency unit at Raigmore Hospital handcuffed a runaway patient for police.

Twenty-three year-old student Lawrence Jones was taken to A&E in police custody.

But Sheriff David Sutherland heard he leapt out of bed and ran from the cubicle where he was to be examined.

Jones burst through two doors and eventually was stopped by two police officers who were in hot pursuit.

Depute Fiscal Roderick Urquhart said the trio ended up struggling on the floor.

A&E surgeon Mark Janssens followed them and as Jones lay on the floor he grabbed the police handcuffs and restrained the runaway.

Jones of Direbught Road, Inverness admitted on June 8 last year resisting and obstructing two police officers by struggling violently with them at A&E in Raigmore Hospital striking one of the officers on the head causing them to collide with the drinks machine and to fall to the floor.

He also admitted willfully and recklessly damaging lockfast doors in the unit.

Mr Urquhart said Jones was taken to the hospital by ambulance in police custody on the afternoon of the Rock Ness Festival.

The fiscal said Mr Jansenns told the police because of the festival it was a particularly busy time.

"Mr Janssens decided he (Jones) should be kept under observation but while speaking to him he suddenly jumped out of bed and ran out of the cubicle.

"He reached secure doors and burst straight through breaking the locks. The doors led into a children’s waiting area.Mr Janssens was concerned if there was a child on the other side the consequences could have been much more serious."

The fiscal said Jones was pursued by the two police officers. One caught up with him but fell to the floor injuring his knee. Then the other officer took hold of him but they crashed into a drinks machine and all three ended up on the floor.

"Mr Janssens was concerned for the safety of people in the waiting area and it was he who came and applied the handcuffs to Jones while he was on the ground and the accused was taken back into custody."

Marc Dickson solicitor for Jones said he was a student and worked part-time in a shop.

"He has a diagnosis or obsessive compulsive disorder and suffers from anxiety and depression."

The solicitor said he was at Rock Ness and had taken unwell.

Mr Dickson said Jones was on medication and had taken alcohol that day in addition to his prescribed medication.

"He does not know what happened." But Mr Dickson said he had written apologies to the officers and the doctor concerned.

Sheriff Margaret Neilson noted Jones had three convictions last year, one for assault to injury, and he had already been sentenced to two community payback orders.

"I’m quite concerned that he has had three convictions in a short period of time and he has some difficulties with his attitude to alcohol.

"Given my concerns over the rush of convictions and the nature of these charges which are really serious I am going to defer sentence for reports."

Sentence was deferred until April 3.

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