A 29-YEAR-OLD man who went into hospital on New Year’s Day unconscious because of the amount of alcohol he had drunk assaulted three members of staff when he came round.

Blackburn magistrates heard Liam Daniel Thomas kicked a female nurse in the stomach, punched a doctor in the face and punched a male nurse leaving him with a bloody nose and a cut to the inside of his mouth.

Thomas, of Derby Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assaulting Michelle Bolton, Dr Ian Stanley and Mohammed Khan. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £100 compensation to Michelle Bolton and Dr Stanley and £150 to Mr Khan.

Alex Mann, prosecuting, said Thomas was taken to hospital unconscious through alcohol and later told police he had drunk one and a half bottles of vodka. When he was woken and examined at about 8am Thomas started swearing and became “volatile.”

“He was told he could go home and sleep it off and at that point launched himself off the bed and started throwing punches,” said Mrs Mann. “The three members of staff named in the charges all suffered a blow of some kind. These people were doing a difficult job at a busy time and they didn’t need to receive this kind of attention from the defendant.”

The court was told Thomas was still subject to prison licence as a result of a wounding offence in 2018 for which he was jailed for 72 months.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client deeply regretted what had happened although he had absolutely no recollection of even being at hospital.

“He had consumed a vast amount of alcohol over a short period of time,” said Mr Taylor.

He said when Thomas was woken up to assess whether he could be discharged he was still under the influence of alcohol.

“The hospital staff were only trying to do their job and clearly didn’t deserve the kind of reaction they got from him,” said Mr Taylor. “He has to face the consequences of those actions even though he can’t remember them.”