A MAN walked around a hospital telling patients he was going to cut off his own private parts.
Andrew Bryson, 37, later stole a canister of Entonox — a pain relief gas — from an ambulance while it attended a call and attempted to stab it with a knife, before waving the knife at police officers.
Bryson had sentence deferred at Dundee Sheriff Court after admitting three charges against him.
Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told the court Bryson had been in Ninewells Hospital receiving treatment after an incident of self-harm.
The fiscal said: “He was told he would be released and given three days’ worth of medication to take home with him.
“He went into the office of the head nurse and said that wasn’t enough medication, and if he wasn’t given more he would harm himself. He said he had a knife.
“He then left the ward and began to walk around the hospital telling people he was going to cut off his own private parts.” Police were contacted and Bryson was later charged.
He appeared at the sheriff court the following day and pleaded not guilty to the offence and was released on bail. The same day, Bryson went on to commit a further two offences.
At about 9pm, paramedics were called to a home in the vicinity of Bryson’s flat. The ambulance was left unsecure as a patient was treated, and when the paramedics returned, the door was ajar and items were missing, including Entonox.
The fiscal continued: “They saw the accused in the garden acting suspiciously and asked him if he had taken the missing items but he denied it.
“Police were contacted and they traced Bryson in his flat. When they entered, he was holding an Entonox canister in his hand and a knife.
“He was heavily under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He repeatedly attempted to stab and pierce the canister and then held the knife to his own stomach and threatened to stab himself.”
Police used CS spray, then one officer used his baton to restrain Bryson and he was arrested.
Bryson, of Barnes Avenue, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at ward seven, Ninewells Hospital, on November 16, and again the following day, at his home address. He also admitted theft from an unsecure motor vehicle, also on November 17, at Barnes Avenue.
Sentence was deferred until March 11 for social work and psychological reports.
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