Man who bit doctor is jailed by judge

Man who bit doctor is jailed by judge

12 June 2013

A DOWNPATRICK man has been jailed for 18 months for committing a catalogue of crime including biting a hospital doctor.

In two separate incidents Mark Anthony McEntee attacked the doctor and police officers as they tried to help him when he warned he was planning suicide.

Twenty nine year-old McEntee, of Colmcille Road, appeared at Downpatrick Court on Thursday after committing offences on January 14 and on February 1.

In January police were called after McEntee threatened to commit suicide. However, he became abusive to the officers and assaulted two of them, including a female constable who he tried to heatbutt.

An ambulance was called to take him to the Ulster Hospital and McEntee had to be restrained to stop him harming himself or attacking the ambulance crew.

On February 1 McEntee arrived at the Downe Hospital with an injury to his left arm. He became aggressive to staff before pulling a knife and putting it to his own throat.

McEntee was persuaded to leave the reception area, but in the triage room he brought the knife out again, bit a doctor and assaulted a second member of hospital staff as they were trying to restrain him.

Blood loss from McEntee’s self imposed injuries led to the triage room being closed for decontamination.

McEntee eventually received treatment including staples in a wound in his arm before being arrested at taken to a police station.

That night in his cell McEntee tried to pull staples from his arm and bit skin from his arm. He also assaulted an officer the next day.

District Judge Greg McCourt said: “You have appeared before me previously and you were given a chance and you didn’t take it.

“Police do not need to be assaulted in any way shape or form. This is very serious and police need to be protected, as do hospital staff,” he said.

McEntee received an eight month sentence for three counts of assault on police, three counts of resisting police, disorderly behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm on January 14.

For possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, two counts of assault, criminal damage and assault on a police officer on February 1-2 he received a 10 month jail term, to run consecutive with the eight months.