Joshua Byrne, 32, of Hove, claimed to have been trying to protect himself from a drug dealer (Picture: SWNS)
Footage shows the moment police officers were able to take down a man wielding a knife in a hospital.
Joshua Byrne, 32, of Hove in East Sussex, claimed to have brought the weapon to A&E at the Royal Sussex County Hospital at about 11pm on October 3rd to protect himself from a drug dealer.
CCTV footage shows him lunging toward a security guard screaming: ‘I’ll stab you in the face.’
Byrne had attended the hospital earlier in the day to receive treatment and was later seen hanging outside the department after he was discharged.
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He subsequently argued with security and became angry, returning to the A&E wing to threaten both staff and members of the public.
Officers were on the scene within minutes, though not before Byrne had taken a phone from one of the hospital’s patients by force as well as narrowly missing stabbing a nurse.
The first police to arrive used a taser to subdue and safely arrest Byrne, who later told them he was carrying the weapon to ‘protect’ himself from a drug dealer from whom he’d stolen thousands of pounds.
Sussex Police’s force lead for knife crime and serious violence, Chief Inspector Simon Yates, said: ‘We know that there is increased concern from the public about knife crime.
Byrne was sentenced to five years plus an additional three on license following his release (Picture: SWNS)
‘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.’
He went on: ‘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.’
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Byrne has since admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, as well as affray, and threatening a person while in possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Presiding at Lewes Crown Court, Judge Christine Laing KC praised the officers who attended the scene, and in particular the hospital staff who remained calm under pressure to escort patients and members of the public to safety.
She sentenced Byrne to five years in prison, in addition to an extended licence period for a further three years following his release.
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