Man jailed after coughing at coronavirus nurse and threatening to murder her

A patient who coughed at a nurse and threatened to murder her while she was treating people with symptoms of coronavirus has been jailed.

Leon Uzan, 30, reduced the NHS worker to tears as he threatened to smash up the hospital in a rage as he demanded a Covid-19 test. 

Blackburn Magistrates Court heard how Uzan was demanding to be tested after he had been ordered out of the hospital following a mental health assessment.

He coughed on the screen separating him from the nurse in Royal Blackburn Hospital and then said he would kill her. The nurse called 999 but broke down while speaking to the emergency operator and had to pass the phone to a colleague.

The court heard that she later told police: ‘I have been in tears and shaking since.’

Peter Kelly, prosecuting, said Uzan, from Blackburn, Lancashire, was eventually told he had to leave after trying to sleep on seats in a waiting area.

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Mr Kelly said the nurse who was later threatened was triaging people showing signs of coronavirus, while Uzan was told he was showing no signs and discharged.

He added: ‘He (Uzan) demanded to see a doctor and was heard to say he was going to smash up the hospital.

‘He then confronted the nurse who was behind a screen at the reception desk.’

Mr Kelly continued: ‘He coughed on the screen and then said he was going to murder her.

‘He said he was going to get her murdered and that she was going to be hunted down that night.’

The court heard that Uzan accused the NHS of ‘abuse, torture and neglect’ in his police interview, while Mr Kelly said Uzan understood that hospitals ‘were extremely busy due to what he described as “coronavirus crap”.’

Scott Parker, defending, said Uzan suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and was known to the mental health services.

He told the court: ‘He had not taken his medication because he feared he might catch coronavirus.

‘He apologises for the language he used towards the nurse. In no circumstances would he have carried out such threats.

‘It was the language used rather than his physical behaviour which is reflected in the level of charge.’

Uzan pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour and was jailed for 10 weeks.

Sentencing, District Judge Joanne Hirst said she had heard how the defendant’s behaviour had a marked impact on the victim.

She said: ‘You caused a significant diversion of time and attention of frontline staff at a time of national crisis, and only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.’

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