Wrexham,North Wales - Woman jailed after her drunken antics at A&E in Wrexham

Published date: 27 April 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A DRUNKEN woman who caused disruption in a hospital accident and emergency department has been jailed.

Emma Josephine Knight, 46, could remember nothing of the incident, a court was told yesterday.

Knight, of Chester Road, Wrexham, admitted breaching her criminal behaviour order which banned her from being drunk in public and causing a nuisance while drunk.

District judge Gwyn Jones, sitting at Flintshire Magistrates Court at Mold, jailed her for 28 days.

He said those who attended accident and emergency in a drunken state disrupted theeffective running of the department.

“Such behaviour has a traumatic impact on staff, on those requiring treatment or waiting to find out what has happened to their loved ones,” he said.

“Behaviour of this nature in accident and emergency is totally and utterly unacceptable.”

The court was told Knight had a significant drink problem, had attended the hospital after being taken there by the ambulance service, was given advice but failed to take advantage of it.

“You continued to be abusive and offensive,” the judge said, adding: “Only an immediate period of custody is in my view appropriate.”

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, said police on duty at Wrexham Maelor Hospital were called by A&E nursing staff at 10pm on Sunday.

Knight had been found slumped on the floor in Hope Street and taken to the hospital by 

ambulance.

She was unco-operative and was shouting loudly and incoherently.

Told to behave, she swore at the officer, continued to cause disruption and was unsteady on 

her feet.

A consultant examined her because of concern for her welfare but it was concluded she was not in need of medical attention.

She was asked to leave but was later seen in the reception area where she was slumped in a chair.

Advised again to leave, she started shouting loudly.

Her behaviour was such that it amounted to a breach of a criminal behaviour order which was imposed by North Cheshire magistrates last October.

Interviewed later, she apologised. 

She said she had been anxious about attending a barbecue, got angry with herself, drank some wine and blacked out.

Knight said she did not remember being at the hospital or being abusive to the police.

Phillip Marshall-Thomas, defending, said it was a sad case. 

His client was not in any trouble until she was in her mid-30s.

She had been coping well and had not touched alcohol for 10 weeks before the incident.

Knight had been settled in rented property which had been lost because of the latest proceedings.

But a friend who acted as power of attorney over her was in the process of securingnew accommodation 

for her.

Mr Marshall-Thomas said Knight had mental health problems, was genuinely sorry and wanted to get back to a normal life.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/161385/woman-jailed-after-her-drunken-antics-at-a-e-in-wrexham.aspx