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24 Oct 2025
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24 Oct 2025
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Derry Magistrates' Court
A judge has spoken of how some doctors and nurses have had to wear body cams in hospital, such is the risk of violence they face after a man appeared at Derry Magistrates' Court on charges including disorderly behavior in Altnagelvin Hospital.
Dillon Hemphill (29) of Hazeldene Drive in Ballysally in Coleraine was charged with, on March 8, 2023, disorderly behavior, assaulting police and attempted criminal damage to a police van.
Police were initially called to the hospital following reports of a man in a highly intoxicated state behaving in an abusive manner in A&E.
Police arrived and restrained Hemphill, taking him into a police van that he attempted to kick. He also began to bang his head off the vehicle and had to be restrained to prevent self harm.
Defence Barrister Brendan Kearney said that, at the time of the offences, Hemphill had only recently moved to the city and had been 'struggling with life' and 'drinking every day'.
He added that the assault on police was a technical assault and said that Hemphill is 'doing much better' now.
Deputy District Judge Austin Kennedy called Hemphill's behavior 'disgraceful' but offered him a 'final chance', sentencing him to a twelve month probation order.
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