A 24-YEAR-OLD Pensnett man who returned to Russells Hall Hospital armed with a metal bar after being ejected from the premises by security staff because of his drunken aggressive behaviour has been spared jail.

Judge Phillip Parker QC at Wolverhampton Crown Court told Matthew Beresford: "The courts regard security at hospitals as being extremely important and people who disrupt hospitals can expect to be punished.

"It is a sad fact that hospitals have to employ security staff but incidents of this sort show just how important it is.”

Beresford had to be escorted away from the borough’s main hospital due to his drunkeness when he was obstructive and abusive – Mark Rees, prosecuting, told the court.

He said he then returned armed with the metal bar which he was waving about and the security staff felt it was necessary to move in and detain him for his own safety and that of others at the Dudley hospital.

But after the incident Beresford went to Brierley Hill Police Station and complained to officers about the "forceful" actions of the security men.

Laura Culley defending Beresford - a man of previous good character, said: “What he did was completely out of character. He does not normally drink to excess and he wants to apologise for his behaviour."

Beresford, of Byron Street, admitted possessing an offensive weapon and was placed on supervision for a year and ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work in the community.

The judge said no-one was injured in the incident but he told Beresford he had behaved in a "bizarre" fashion.