Man who spat blood into police officer's mouth in Altnagelvin Hospital remanded in custody

A man who is alleged to have spat blood into a police officer's mouth in Altnagelvin Hospital's accident and emergency department yesterday and who shouted "good I hope he dies" when informed that a nearby patient was receiving end of life care, was refused bail and remanded in custody charged with committing a series of violent incidents when receiving medical care for a wound.

The defendant, Nisha Gough, 22, from Dacre Terrace in the Carlisle Road area of the city, is alleged to have assaulted a police officer in the hospital by spitting blood into the officer's mouth.

He's also charged with assaulting an ambulance paramedic by spitting into his face and with assaulting a nurse.

The defendant is further charged with attempting to cause criminal damage to a door in the accident and emergency department and with resisting a police officer.

A police officer told the court that the defendant was taken to hospital after police found him on Sunday morning on the Craigavon Bridge with an arm injury. 

While in hospital the defendant behaved in an aggressive manner towards medical staff and towards police officers.

A police officer told the court that Gough told a member of the nursing staff that he would ‘nail the first police officer who approached him.’

The court heard the defendant had taken off his top and had a visible wound dressing to his left arm. 

Bough was said to have continued to behave aggressively and he continually swore at anyone around him and he was warned three times about his behaviour before he was taken into a waiting area where he continued to verbally abuse staff. 

The officer said police eventually handcuffed the defendant and that was when he spat at the officer and the paramedic. 

The court heard his spittle contained blood and the officer whose mouth it entered was now off awaiting procedures for various potential issues.

The officer added: “A nurse asked him to calm down as there was a patient in a nearby room receiving end of life care and he said "good, I hope he f......  dies."

Describing the incident as horrible, the police officer told the court that he believed there would be a high risk of the defendant re-offending in a violent manner if granted bail. 

He said the defendant's criminal record showed nineteen offences in the last four years, most of them for violent and public order offences.

Applying for bail a defence solicitor described the allegations as "bizarre and outrageous" at a time when the defendant himself was receiving treatment in the hospital for an injury to his arm.

"While the allegations are of a deeply unpleasant nature, I submit that with proper conditions imposed, including a ban from entering the hospital, that the defendant could be managed on bail", he said.

When asked by District Judge Oonagh Mullan when the defendant moved to Derry, the solicitor replied that the defendant was originally from the north Belfast area and had moved to Derry earlier this year.

Refusing bail, Judge Mullan said "to say what he did say about the person receiving end of life care was deplorable, disgusting and appalling.”

She added that the circumstances surrounding the case were ‘despicable’. 

The judge said Gough had ‘relocated’ here but continued to re-offend. 

Bail was refused and the defendant was remanded in custody until October 2.