Patient rams table into pregnant nurse after “bad day” 224

By Paul Thornton
 
A PATIENT has been jailed after he rammed a table into the stomach of a heavily pregnant nurse who was caring for him – because he was having a bad day.
 
Prosecutors said John Ross, 46, would have been able to see the Afro-Caribbean staff nurse was almost six-months pregnant when he launched the sick attack.
 
The ungrateful lout also screamed a volley of racist abuse at the health worker, who was helping him to have kidney dialysis.
 
Yesterday (Monday) at Edinburgh Sheriff Court he admitted assault and racist abuse and was locked-up for three months after a sheriff branded the attack “disgraceful behaviour”.
 
Fiscal depute Graham Fraser told the court how staff nurse Eunice Kudom had telephoned Ross after he failed to show for an appointment at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
 
The 28-year-old was due to help Ross with kidney dialysis, which he needs three times every week.
 
But when he failed did not appear for his 9am appointment in July this year, she became worried and called him.
 
His taxi had been late to pick him up and this, he said, had put him in a bad mood. He eventually made it to the hospital and was taken into a private room to begin his dialysis.
 
But after a short while Ross accused Miss Kudom of interrupting him and, despite an apology from the nurse, launched his attack.
 
Mr Fraser said: “She apologised but he became aggressive and said she was nothing but a useless girl.
 
“He pushed a table which struck her on the stomach.”
 
Mr Fraser added that because Miss Kudom was so heavily pregnant it would have been obvious to her attacker that she was expecting a child.
 
To add insult to injury as the terrified nurse, who was 24-weeks into her pregnancy, fled the room he repeatedly screamed “black b****” at her.
 
Ross had shown “a wholesale lack of consideration for people saving his life”, said Mr Fraser.
 
Luckily, she had not suffered any injuries or complications to her pregnancy as a result of the attack.
 
His lawyer, Caroline Kwek, said that her client had been struggling since his mother, who was his main carer, had been hospitalised.
 
She said he was deeply ashamed of his actions that day, which he attributed to having a bad day – including his taxi being late to take him to his appointment.
 
Miss Kwek added that a serious head injury 10 years ago had caused Ross to act differently at times.
 
She said: “He took out his anger on the nurse.”
 
But Sheriff Nigel Morrison QC said: “This is disgraceful behaviour.”
 
He jailed Ross, of West Bryson Road, Edinburgh, for three months.