A CARLISLE inpatient assaulted two hospital workers in the space of just four days.
Joshua Milne, 30, was brought before city magistrates on Tuesday (November 12) following an incident at the Carleton Clinic, Cumwhinton Drive, on 20th November last year.
Prosecutor George Shelley gave details about the incident at a facility which provides acute mental health services.
This occurred, he said, as a mental health nurse was conducting duties. “She has intervened between Mr Milne — at the time an inpatient — and another patient, having a verbal argument,” Mr Shelley told magistrates.
“It is at that point Mr Milne has proceeded to push her and asked ‘what are you going to do about it?’.”
No injury was caused and Milne, whose address was given in court as the Carleton Clinic, made full admissions in interview.
He admitted one charge of assaulting the nurse by beating.
Mr Shelley said this was Milne’s second conviction for assaulting an emergency worker. His first was logged in June this year when he admitted assaulting a nurse consultant at the Carleton Clinic on 16th November, 2023.
On that occasion, Milne had pushed the nurse into a door, causing a shoulder injury for which he later apologised.
Defence solicitor Sean Harkin, mitigating in respect of the most recent incident, said the offence was significantly mitigated by Milne’s mental health difficulties.
“He is an in-patient at the Carleton Clinic. He was at the time and he remains so today,” said Mr Harkin.
Milne was accompanied in court by two health professionals, and was not allowed to leave the hospital voluntarily. “Perhaps that speaks volumes as to his difficulties,” said Mr Harkin.
Milne was severely autistic, was struggling in the hospital environment and in the process of moving to a different location.
“That’s the significant mitigation,” added Mr Harkin, “as are his admissions in interview and also his guilty plea credit.”
Milne was fined £140 as part of an overall £281 court bill for the crime.
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