02 March 2024 , 17:11
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A man who claimed he was carrying a weapon for protection was captured on video being tasered by police after threatening hospital staff.
Joshua Byrne, 32, from Hove, East Sussex claimed he was carrying the knife to protect himself from an Albanian drug dealer. Footage shows the man lunging towards a security guard and shouting: "I will stab you in the face" before being arrested.
Byrne ran into the A&E at the Royal Sussex County Hospital with the knife at around 11pm on October 3 having previously been at the hospital for treatment that day. He was seen outside the A&E department during a fire alarm after he had been discharged.
Byrne began arguing with the guard and then became irate and entered the A&E department, threatening staff and members of the public. He came extremely close to stabbing a nurse and removed a mobile phone from a patient by force. His actions sparked numerous calls to police, who arrived at the hospital within minutes.
Byrne can be seen on the footage with a huge knife in his hand threatening staff (Sussex Police / SWNS)PC Greg Devlin and PC Max Setra from the force's Roads Policing Unit (RPU) were the first to arrive at the scene and used a taser to make the arrest. When he appeared in court Byrne, who is unemployed, was sentenced to five years in prison, which includes an extended licence period for a further three years.
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After his arrest he told officers he carries a knife because he stole thousands of pounds from an Albanian drug dealer and felt the need to carry a weapon "for protection".
The knife-wielding thug was sentenced to five years in jail when he appeared at crown court (Sussex Police / SWNS)Chief Inspector Simon Yates, Sussex Police’s force lead for knife crime and serious violence, said: "We know that there is increased concern from the public about knife crime. Stories in the media and social media can increase these concerns, and can lead some individuals to arm themselves with a knife in a misguided attempt to protect themselves.
"Sadly, it is becoming commonplace for police officers to encounter weapons such as hunting knives and concealed weapons which have been purchased online, with few, if any, checks to prevent them being used in crime. We know that knife crime can destroy the lives of those impacted, their families and loved ones, and our communities.
"Those who carry them often don’t appreciate this impact, and don’t appreciate that by carrying a knife, they are far more likely to become a victim of knife crime themselves." At Lewes Crown Court on February 20, Byrne admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, threatening a person while in possession of a bladed article in a public place, and affray.
Judge Christine Laing KC praised the bravery and professionalism of the hospital staff and security guards, and the RPU officers who detained Byrne. She in particular had fulsome praise for the hospital staff who kept calm while dealing with the situation, where they helped get patients and members of the public to safety, and protected other patients who could not be moved from the A&E Department during the incident.
Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Rachel Carr said: “The actions of the hospital staff and security was incredible that night. It was a distressing incident for everyone in the hospital, but the staff’s professional actions ensured vulnerable patients were protected. Byrne’s actions were highly reckless, putting his own safety and the safety of everyone else at risk. He was swiftly arrested, and we are pleased that a dangerous criminal has now been sentenced."