A court heard yesterday that an Inverness man was “heavily drunk” when he created uproar in the A&E department of the Highlands’ flagship hospital, leaving waiting parents and children distressed.
Donald Beaton, 61, of 155 Smithton Park, Inverness, admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by shouting and swearing at medical staff in Raigmore Hospital after he was given treatment.
Patients with young children were sitting in the waiting area and were exposed to his aggressive behaviour.
Yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court Sheriff Mhairi MacTaggart deferred sentence until June 18 for the production of a background report.
She also warned Beaton that she was treating his case as a “serious matter” and that a message “has to be sent out.”
The court heard Beaton, who is divorced and unemployed, suffers from a physically debilitating condition called cervical spondylosis, which causes severe neck and shoulder pain, as a result of a bus crash he was in.
Fiscal depute Michelle Molley told the court that Beaton was given his treatment and advice at about 5pm on Sunday, December 28, 2014, before he took exception to staff.
Two security guards were called and they asked Beaton to leave, but he refused and police were called to escort him out of the premises at about 5.40pm.
Ms Molley added: “He was heavily drunk and became abusive to staff. A number of people were distressed at his behaviour as he was acting in an aggressive manner.”
Sheriff MacTaggart said: “This is a serious matter. There is a situation where people are in an extremely vulnerable situation and you behave in this manner and a message has to be sent out. I will defer sentence for a background report.”
Beaton’s solicitor, Rory Gowans, said: “He had been drinking and he has penned a letter of apology to all staff at Raigmore Hospital. He is mortified at his conduct and wishes to apologise to staff at the hospital and to the court for taking up time.”