A PATIENT has been jailed for launching an attack on a hospital consultant and hurling racist abuse at a doctor at Fairfield General.

The attack, by 29-year-old Steven Coundley, is the second serious incident involving staff at the Bury hospital to emerge this week.

Jailing Coundley, of Ashbrook Close, Whitefield, magistrates labelled the drunken violence as "appalling offences against medical staff" while they were performing their public duties.

He had pleaded guilty, before Manchester magistrates, to assaulting Dr Vaibhav Gulati, on June 27, and consultant Mark Richardson-Riley, as well as using racially aggravated harassment.

Coundley was also convicted of assaulting Pc Zack Armstead, during the same incident, and using threatening behaviour.

Magistrates also ordered him to pay £50 compensation to each of his three victims.

Just this week the same court had also dealt with problem drinker Carl Trousdale, who had also kicked off at the hospital.

He hurled drunken abuse at staff during an outburst on May 26. during which security had to be called in.

Trousdale, 37, of Roman Road, Prestwich admitted to using threatening behaviour towards a ward sister and nurse, assaulting a ward sister and harassing two security guards.

District judge Bernard Begley gave him a suspended prison sentence with a nine-month alcohol treatment condition and 25 rehabilitation days.