A 53-YEAR-OLD man who had been sniffing butane gas and drinking punched a nurse in the face, racially abused a doctor and made threats to another female member of staff at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Blackburn magistrates heard Kenneth John Flynn was already subject to a suspended prison sentence for offences committed on hospital premises.

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Flynn, of Leyburn Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting Joanne Potts, racially aggravated threatening behaviour towards Dr Sivaraman Seramanperuman and using threatening behaviour towards staff nurse Amanda Hudson.

He admitted being in breach of a suspended prison sentence and was jailed for a total of 20 weeks. He was also ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge on his release.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Flynn was on a hospital trolley when he started being aggressive.

He demanded his ‘gas’ back, a reference to the butane lighter fluid he had been inhaling.

Miss Allan said that was significant because the offences for which he was on a suspended prison sentence – indecently exposing himself to paramedics and assaulting a police officer – were committed when he was high on butane and alcohol.

The latest incident also took place in the A and E department. Flynn said he was going home and wanted his gas back.

“Joanne Potts was standing at the sink when Flynn suddenly jumped up and punched her on the jaw,” said Miss Allan.

“Staff nurse Hudson and other members of staff, including the doctor, came to assist and were threatened by him.

“He looked directly at Ms Hudson and said he was going to kill her.”

Simon Farnsworth, defending, said his client accepted his behaviour in the hospital had been horrific.

“He had been inhaling butane, drinking and using Spice and clearly his behaviour was not acceptable,” said Mr Farnsworth.

“He has little recollection of his behaviour but he knows he must face the consequences today.”