A man who sexually assaulted a nurse at the hospital has been handed a suspended sentence.

Forty-two-year-old Steven Paul Menton hugged the woman and kissed her neck

Menton initially denied the offence but then changed his plea to guilty at a later date.

He also admitted two counts of assaulting a police officer and one of theft.

Magistrates sentenced him to 25 weeks’ custody, suspended for two years, and also put him under a two-year supervision order.

We previously reported that Menton was at accident and emergency on June 22.

He was said to have been intoxicated and was swearing and knocking on walls and a door.

Menton was said to have threatened to kick a police officer and he was put in handcuffs.

However, while this was taking place, a struggle ensued during which the defendant butted the side of an officer’s body, and tried to bite his arm.

As the struggle continued, Menton then kicked the officer on the shin, and again tried to bite his arm, as he continued with verbal abuse.

On November 8, he was at accident and emergency again.

A nurse said that she had been discharging Menton, when he asked her for a hug.

She declined and told him ‘air hugs only’.

However, he put his arm around her neck and kissed her on the cheek and neck, with the incident lasting four or five seconds.

The nurse said she could feel his stubble on her neck and she had been panicking due to him holding her so tightly.

Police arrested Menton and he said: ‘It’s disgusting. I’m not a sex offender or a predator.’

The theft was committed on August 4, when the defendant stole a bottle of wine from Spar on Bucks Road in Douglas.

Defence advocate Victoria Watterson said that Menton was a vulnerable person, who had suffered a brain injury after he was the victim of an assault in 2023.

The advocate submitted references which she said described her client as a ‘gentle and caring’ person, and that he had a history of tragedy in his life.

Of the sexual assault, Ms Watterson said that Menton had been at the hospital following a suspected seizure and head injury, and that intoxication had also played a part.

She said that the defendant hugged everybody, but realised that the kisses had definitely crossed a line, and that he wanted to apologise to the nurse.

Regarding the police assaults, the advocate said that Menton had been confused and frustrated, and that handcuffs had been hurting his wrists, which had resulted in him begging to be released.

She went on to say that all the offences were at the lower end of the scale for their type, and that Menton had now had a significant period without alcohol.

The court heard that he has already spent eight weeks on remand.

Menton, who lives at Boilley Spittal in Peel, was also ordered to pay £550 prosecution costs and £100 compensation to the nurse.