A DRUG user being restrained by police officers on a hospital bed had spat in the face of a nurse who’d only recently returned to work after being in intensive care with Covid.

Owain Hughes, 23, of Victoria Avenue, Buckley, admitted assaulting staff nurse Juan Herrera at Wrexham Maelor Hospital and another emergency worker PC David Jones who he’d kicked in the thigh on March 4.

Magistrates at Llandudno today activated a twelve weeks suspended jail term and imposed 26 weeks consecutively for the assaults.

Court chairwoman Janet Ellard told him: ”Spitting is a revolting action especially under the present Covid-19 pandemic and you were under the influence of drugs.”

Hughes must pay £200 compensation to the nurse and £100 to the PC.

Prosecutor Julia Galston said seven police officers had held the “extremely aggressive” defendant on the bed. Hughes had been shouting and screaming.

The spitting had left the nurse “angry and upset.”

Defence solicitor Gary Harvey said Hughes didn’t remember the assaults possibly because of mental health problems. He should have been taking medication regularly and not having small amounts of amphetamine.

Hughes had “lost control” and was remorseful.