Knifeman sentence 'too lenient'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6039642.stm

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Hospital chiefs have criticised a court's decision not to jail a man who held a knife to a young doctor's throat at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald.

David Hague, 35, from Islandview Gardens, Greyabbey, was given a one-year probation order at Castlereagh Magistrates Court last month.

Hague held the doctor at knifepoint in the hospital's accident and emergency department last New Year's Eve.

Hospital chief executive Jim McCall said he was astonished he was set free.

"It doesn't give the right message to people," he said.

"To assume you can attack, abuse or assault health and social services staff, whether it is in a hospital, an ambulance, or in a community setting, it is just not acceptable.

"My concern is that the community disapproval that is so critical to these kind of events is not helped by the apparent laxness of the (court's) decision."