Rhys Neely (19) appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday via video link from Maghaberry Prison, where he pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour and assault on police. 

 

On Saturday, December 31 past, at around 11.45pm, police were called to the South West Acute Hospital after reports a man was being aggressive to staff. When the officers arrived they found Neely with ambulance staff. He had two swollen eyes, a bloody lip and bloody nose, and his pupils were dilated. 

 

Neely wouldn’t answer the officers’ questions, and started shouting at police. They accompanied him into the accident and emergency department, where he continued shouted and called out that the staff were “f**king useless.” 

 

After telling one of the officers he would slap him, Neely took an officer’s CS spray and then had to be restrained. Neely continued to be aggressive after being arrested and on his way to the police station, and shouted “f**k the PSNI” and “RUC bastards.” 

 

A letter was handed into the court from Neely’s GP, and Deputy District Judge Phillip Mateer said the defendant, who has been on remand in custody on these matters for the past seven weeks, had issues with his mental health. 

 

Judge Mateer said on December 31st Neely had gone into the hospital and caused trouble, stating the court took a zero tolerance approach to violence in a hospital setting.

 

He activated Neely’s previous suspended sentence and sentenced him to a further four months in prison, with both sentences to run concurrently to each other.