THE actions of a man who threw a blood-soaked towel over a nurse have been condemned.

Ashley David Clark avoided jail after he assaulted the A&E nurse at Furness General Hospital.

The 27-year-old admitted assaulting an emergency worker when he was brought before South Cumbria Magistrates' Court.

Magistrates heard how Clark assaulted nurse Avril McKinley at the hospital on December 27.

He was said to have thrown the blood-soaked towel over the nurse, but had no intention to cause harm.

Clark was said to have been drunk at the time of the incident, which was described as a 'prolonged disturbance'. Children were also present at the scene.

The court ruled the offence was 'akin to spitting'.

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Clark, of Barrow's Cloisters Avenue, was said to have cooperated with authorities after the incident and shown 'genuine remorse'.

Magistrates sentenced the defendant to 10 weeks in prison, suspended for a year.

They took into account previous convictions and that he was serving a community order when he committed the offence.

Magistrates suspended the jail sentence because of 'a real prospect of rehabiliation within the community'.

Clark was ordered to complete a period of 12 months of supervision.

He was told he must abstain from drinking alcohol for 90 days and complete 15 rehabilitation activity days.

The court also ordered the defendant to pay £200 in compensation to the nurse.

Following the sentencing, Barrow MP Simon Fell condemned the incident.

He said: "That's utterly grim and anyone who acts in that way should expect to feel the full force of the law.

"People working in the frontlines, whether doctors, nurses, carers or police, deserve our respect and common courtesy." 

James Bull, the North West head of health for the UNISON union said: "Violence and abuse at work, in any form, is not acceptable.

"No worker should have to put up with it.

“There are no simple solutions to eradicating such attacks.

"Employers should take a zero-tolerance approach and do everything in their power to protect staff, including prosecuting those responsible.

"Everyone should have the right to work in a safe environment."

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