A Pembroke Dock man who hurled a tirade of abuse at staff and patients at Withybush Hospital’s A and E department because he was trying to sleep in the waiting room has been fined in court.

Thirty-seven-year-old Michael Simms, of Meyrick Street, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to using threatening and abusive behaviour at the Haverfordwest hospital on November 10.

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that Mr. Simms was ‘causing a nuisance of himself’ on the night in question.

“It occurred in the A and E department where the defendant goes into regularly it would seem as it’s warm and he sleeps there!

“At around 11 pm, he was seen standing on one of the chairs fiddling with the TV, and was told to leave it alone by one of the staff nurses, but he responded by swearing at the nurse, with five other people present.

“After that, Mr. Simms laid down on the chairs and went to sleep, but at 1 am he started swearing at people that were coming in and out of the department, as they were letting the cold air in.

“He was spoken to again by a staff member, and told that if he was abusive again, he would have to leave. At that point Mr. Simms walked out but made a threatening and abusive remark towards the nurse, so they called 999 to prevent the matter from escalating,” added Mr. Pritchard-Jones.

Defence solicitor Mark Layton told the court that Mr. Simms didn’t have much recollection about the incident.

“He thinks that someone threw something over him at a time when he was using the facility as somewhere to sleep - but he knows, under the circumstances it is not a homeless accommodation, and for people wanting to be seen at the A and E department.

“Mr. Simms has suffered with long term health problems,” added Mr. Layton.

On sentencing chief magistrate Alex Allison told the defendant that doctors and nurses working at the hospital should not expect to get abuse from members of the public at their work place when on duty.

“Your’e lucky with the wording of the charge, otherwise you could be looking at being dealt with far more severely,” he said, before handing Mr. Simms a £80 fine.

The defendant was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £32 victim surcharge.