Authorities round on 'disgusting' attack on emergency workers by Portsmouth woman at Queen Alexandra Hospital

AUTHORITIES have rounded on a ‘disgusting’ attack on NHS staff and a police officer who were punched, kicked and repeatedly spat at while trying to help a woman with a head injury.
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Elizabeth Foster, 29, subjected a doctor, police officer and two security staff at Queen Alexandra Hospital to a ‘scary’ onslaught on March 16 for no apparent reason.

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The ‘degrading’ assault has prompted the hospital and Hampshire police - which had an officer on the receiving end of spit landing on his mouth during the wild ambush - to condemn her actions.

Elizabeth Foster outside Portsmouth Magistrates' Court after being spared jail for assaulting emergency workers at Queen Alexandra Hospital Elizabeth Foster outside Portsmouth Magistrates' Court after being spared jail for assaulting emergency workers at Queen Alexandra Hospital
Elizabeth Foster outside Portsmouth Magistrates' Court after being spared jail for assaulting emergency workers at Queen Alexandra Hospital
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Nicole Cornelius, director of workforce and organisations development at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said: ‘Any deliberate act of violence or aggression against a member of our staff is completely unacceptable.

‘The safety of our patients and our staff continues to be our absolute priority. We are working closely with Hampshire Constabulary to ensure that those responsible for intentional violence against our staff are prosecuted.’

The attack follows previous notable incidents of violence at the hospital from other aggressors including when Dr David Connor was punched in the face last year. A Boxing Day incident also saw a police officer punched and a nurse attacked before havoc was unleashed in the emergency department.

Such episodes have seen Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust take a strong stance on attacks with it launching its updated Respect and Protect campaign in March to combat acts of aggression and protect staff.

Jamie Tompkins, who was sentenced earlier this year for assaulting Queen Alexandra staffJamie Tompkins, who was sentenced earlier this year for assaulting Queen Alexandra staff
Jamie Tompkins, who was sentenced earlier this year for assaulting Queen Alexandra staff
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A previous law change just two years ago saw the maximum jail term doubled from six months to 12 months for criminals who assault emergency workers in England and Wales.

The government is now considering plans to again double the maximum jail term to two years such is the gravity of the crime.

But despite the acceptance that more needs to be done to protect emergency workers with tougher sentences, mum-of-two Foster, who was currently serving a community order for previous offences on emergency workers, was still able to dodge jail at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court.

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The court heard how Foster, of Australia Close, Landport, suddenly erupted when she was being checked over after being brought to the hospital by an ambulance.

‘The defendant had a minor head injury but was unresponsive - the doctor couldn’t see anything wrong and so did a responsive test,’ prosecutor Liam Hunter said.

‘She then suddenly leaps up and starts shouting and confronting staff while being verbally abusive.

‘The doctor backs away as she is scared things are going to get violent and says: “We need security.”

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‘Security staff arrive and go over before one receives a flailing punch in the face as she spits at them.’

Police were then called to intervene in the escalating drama which saw another member of security dealt a blow.

‘(The member of security) tries to restrain (Foster) but she kicks him in the face and knocks his glasses off,’ the prosecutor said.

‘The police officer then arrives and Ms Foster spits at him - with it landing in his mouth.

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‘She is still spitting out generally with one spit landing on the doctor’s uniform.’

After Foster had calmed down, tests showed there was no head injury.

The assaulted police officer said in a victim impact statement: ‘Being spat at is the most degrading thing.

‘The behaviour was not acceptable - she was fully aware of her surroundings.

‘It was disgusting and highly disrespectful.’

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Sally Martin, defending, said Foster had ‘no idea how she ended up in hospital’ after she was ‘in drink’.

She said: ‘Ms Foster only offends if she has been drinking. When she is sober she is lovely but when she drinks her behaviour is awful.

‘Drinking cost Ms Foster her dream job after her drinking at a Christmas party last year.

‘She drinks to mask her childhood trauma.’

The defendant was ‘prepared for the worst’, having previously been sentenced to a 12-month community order in November for assaults on emergency workers - with her armed with a large black bag ready for jail.

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The court heard Foster had been sober since May and had been ‘positively’ engaging with the Recovery Hub.

She also had a 100 per cent record of attending appointments which a probation officer told the court was ‘excellent’ and something she had ‘not been able to say before in court’.

Concerns were also raised on the ‘negative impact’ jail would have on Foster and her children when she was responding so well to probation.

Foster, who admitted four charges of assaulting emergency workers, was spared jail after being given a four-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

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Chair of the bench Graham Aiken said: ‘One of the things that impressed us was your response to probation.’

She was also told to pay £100 compensation to the four victims and complete 20 rehabilitation days.

Hampshire police stood firm after denouncing acts of violence against its officers.

‘Attacking a police officer, either verbally or physically, when we are trying to do our job is appalling behaviour and will not be tolerated,’ a spokeswoman said.

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‘An attack on one of our officers or staff is an attack on all of us. If someone is hurt while on duty, the impact is huge.

‘The individual is affected, their team, their family and ultimately the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are affected because that person may not be able to immediately return to duty.

‘It is worth remembering that police officers who patrol our local communities and respond to calls for help do so with the primary objective of keeping people safe. One attack on a police officer is one too many.’

Penny Mordaunt, Portsmouth North MP, added: ‘This incident sounds absolutely vile. Assaulting those working in the front line to assist and help has always been abhorrent but in the midst of a Covid-19 pandemic it is even more serious. We know workers who have developed Covid-19 from being spat on, in some cases eventually succumbing to the disease.

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‘Health, support staff and out police deserve our unequivocal support. An assault on them is double the crime because of the victims role as public protector. Such crimes are an assault on society, and the penalties for committing such offences should reflect that.’

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The suspended sentence was similar punishment to the one handed to 22-year-old Jamie Tompkins for the Boxing Day assaults.

Tompkins, of Cumberland Street, Portsea, was given a 16-week sentence suspended for 12-months.

Following the incident, Mr Cubbon wrote in his letter to court: ‘NHS staff are subjected to violence and threats on a daily basis, which too often result in injury.

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‘On average in Queen Alexandra Hospital there are 43 assaults or incidents of aggression against staff per week.

‘Violence against our staff is all too often deliberate and intentional, and whilst the severity of such acts changes, the impact upon our staff does not.

‘It is never acceptable to assume that assaults upon our NHS staff should be tolerated; it is not simply part of the job.’

As part of its Respect and Protect campaign, the hospital has introduced a seven-point plan to counter violence.

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These include offering emotional support to staff who are victims of attacks and making it easier to report incidents, as well as providing training to minimise the risk of assaults.

You can catch up with more of our stories about crime and incidents in Portsmouth by joining our Portsmouth Breaking News and Incidents Facebook group.

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