Belfast Man Receives Six-Month Jail Sentence for Spitting on Doctor

Anthony McMullan, a 32-year-old man from Belfast, has been sentenced to six months in prison after spitting on a doctor who was providing him with treatment at a hospital. The judge, in sentencing McMullan, described the act as “disgusting.” McMullan, whose address is University Street in Belfast, was present at Belfast Crown Court for sentencing on seven charges stemming from incidents between May 25 and May 26 of the current year. According to the prosecution lawyer, at approximately 20:00 GMT on May 25, a male resident of the same apartment building as McMullan reported hearing disturbances from an upstairs apartment. This neighbor recognized that the sounds were not originating from the female occupant of that flat. McMullan was inside the apartment and reacted aggressively when confronted. The lawyer stated that McMullan subsequently threw an object at the back window of the male neighbor’s apartment, causing it to break. Upon the woman’s return to her apartment, she discovered evidence of a disturbance, including missing food items and a broken glass on her floor. The lawyer informed the judge that, despite an acknowledgment that all three neighbors were acquainted and regularly visited each other’s apartments, the female resident was absent on this particular occasion, and McMullan entered her flat “without permission.” Around midnight, police officers arrived at McMullan’s apartment and discovered his front door was unlocked. The prosecutor reported that after officers entered, they located an “unresponsive” McMullan in his bed. The officers also discovered pasta, noodles, and sauce that McMullan had removed from his female neighbor’s apartment. McMullan was awakened, and an ambulance was summoned due to his state of intoxication. En route to the Royal Victoria Hospital, McMullan began to verbally abuse the police officers and kicked a female constable. Upon arrival at the hospital, McMullan’s aggressive conduct persisted, and he resisted officers’ attempts to restrain him. He subsequently spat on a doctor who was treating him, with the saliva making contact with the doctor’s right wrist. The lawyer stated: “The doctor was concerned about the level of noise and disturbance and was concerned about the well-being of other patients having to hear and witness this.” McMullan, who has a record of 103 prior convictions, entered guilty pleas to charges of assaulting the doctor, assaulting a police officer, and two counts of resisting arrest. He also confessed to one count of burglary and two counts of criminal damage. His defense barrister indicated that, owing to McMullan’s state of intoxication, he possesses “very little recollection” of the events that transpired in May. The barrister noted that, notwithstanding this, during a police interview where he was questioned about spitting on the doctor, McMullan responded, “if I did that I was totally wrong.” The lawyer remarked that “thankfully” the spitting incident did not lead to the doctor’s absence from his professional responsibilities, but added that the medic “had to deal with the defendant in a way that he shouldn’t have had to.” He further stated that McMullan submitted guilty pleas promptly and has conveyed remorse for his actions. Following consideration of arguments from both the Crown and the defense, the judge informed McMullan that spitting on a doctor who was attending to him constituted a “disgusting act.” The judge characterized McMullan’s criminal record as “formidable.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.