Man injured a nurse in an unprovoked attack in a hospital in Louth

A 66 year old man who injured a nurse in an unprovoked attack in Our Lady of Lourdes hospital has been jailed for 12 months at Dundalk Circuit Court.

The court heard Aubejaitis Gintautas of Ashbrook, Tom Bellew Avenue, Dundalk, who pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and causing criminal damage, blamed drinking four shots of vodka to celebrate his stepson's birthday.

The nurse was dealing with another patient and completing paperwork when the defendant struck her on the side of her face and punched her after she fell to the ground before hitting a computer monitor.

Two porters had to hold him down until gardaí arrived.

The victim sustained a hip injury, bruising to her jaw and the rotator cuff on her right shoulder was torn.

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The next day the defendant became aggressive and charged at staff with a 'sharp' taken from his drip and smashed glass, causing just over €3,000 in damage.

He had no previous convictions and has not come to adverse garda attention since then.

The court heard it was completely out of character and he blamed his actions on having four shots of vodka having not consumed alcohol for the previous two years.

The defendant had €6,000 in court to be split between the injured party and the hospital.

In her victim impact statement, the nurse had told how her right arm has never regained its full strength and she feels vulnerable and hyper aware at night and wasn't able to work for seven months.

Judge Dara Hayes said people working in hospitals are entitled to not be assaulted in an entirely unprovoked manner, out of the blue, and the case warranted an element of a custodial sentence.

He imposed a three year sentence for assault causing harm with the final two years suspended and 15 months with the final three months suspended for the criminal damage charge.