An Angus man threatened staff at Ninewells Hospital A&E department with violence after taking a drugs overdose, Dundee Sheriff Court has heard.
Gavin Anthony Penman, 31, of Bellies Brae, Kirriemuir, breached the peace on June 6 last year at A&E, Ninewells, Dundee, after coming round from an unconscious state, swearing at staff and threatening them.
He admitted behaving in a disorderly manner, shouting and swearing, removing his clothing and threatening staff with violence.
Depute fiscal Laura Bruce told the court Penman had been brought to hospital by police after Job Centre staff contacted them to say he had threatened to take a drugs overdose.
She said: “He was unconscious on arrival at Ninewells and was taken to the resuscitation department before being transferred to the admissions ward.
“He shouted and swore at the staff at about 3am and refused to put his clothing back on when requested to do so.”
Solicitor Grant Bruce, for Penman, told the court his client had been involved in a car accident in 2012 and had spent months in hospital. As a result, he had lost everything his job, his home and had mounting debts.
At the time of the incident, he was receiving disability allowance and when he was told by Job Centre staff that he was to lose that benefit and be reassessed for other benefits, “that was the final straw”, Mr Bruce said.
“He told staff he had had enough and they called police.
“He had taken a cocktail of drugs and he was taken to hospital by the officers,” he added.
“He remembers very little but he is very apologetic to the staff. The problem was a cocktail of drugs and alcohol and he was in an extremely depressed state.”
Sheriff Alastair Brown told Penman: “I normally think in terms of a prison sentence for people who kick off in A&E.”
He deferred sentence on Penman for reports until February 2 and granted him bail.