Nurses at Borders General Hospital faced homophobic abuse from intoxicated man

Sentence was deferred for background reports on William Byers, 43, who pleaded guilty to the offences at a house in Havelock Place in Hawick, during the early hours of November 20 and also later at the hospital.

Procurator fiscal Fraser Matheson said that at about quarter to five in the morning an argument broke out between the accused and his partner Lee Ogg who said she wanted to end the relationship.

He explained how she ended up telephoning the police and the events were listened to by the call handler.

Mr Matheson said: "During the course of the phone call the accused grabbed her by the wrists and pushed her on the back.

"The police were dispatched to the scene and ultimately the accused was arrested.

"He was taken to Borders General Hospital due to the concerns about his demeanour. He appeared intoxicated on something as he has now accepted in court today. The incident in the hospital lasted an hour and a half."

Byers, of Horsburgh Street, Innerleithen, told the court he had no recollection of the incident due to the drugs he had taken.

He admitted assaulting his partner and threatening or abusive behaviour towards nurses and police but a not guilty plea to assaulting a police officer was accepted

by the Crown.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said he was deferring sentence for background reports to see if there was an alternative to a custodial sentence. He called for a Criminal Justice Social Work Report and a Restriction of Liberty Order assessment to be prepared for when the case next calls in court on

April 12.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​