A NURSE who grabbed a patient by the neck after he was swung at has been told to carry out unpaid work.

Adekunle Ojedokun was found guilty of ill-treating patient Christopher Coombs at Mildmay Oaks Hospital, in Hook.

The 62-year-old was dealing with Mr Coombs on March 17, 2019, when he aimed a blow at the nurse.

Ojedokun “snapped and grabbed him by the neck” he “frogmarched” the patient down the corridor and “bundled him into the quiet room” to calm down.

Photos shown during the trial pictured “some degree of redness” suffered by Mr Coombs as a result of the incident.

Ojedokun appeared at Winchester Crown Court today (Thursday) to be sentenced following a trial at the same court last month.

In mitigation, David Owusu-Yianoma said his client had been working as a nurse for around 30 years and had “never been in trouble before”. Mr Owusu-Yianoma asked for the court to consider a conditional discharge.

He continued: “His has been a life of caring for others, all of that has been lost for the sake of this 14 or 15 seconds of what was not planned or premeditated.

“It may well be the jury may have felt that even if Mr Ojedokun was acting in self-defence, he may have overstepped the mark.

“This is 14 or 15 seconds out of a long and illustrious career of caring. The loss of employment in itself is considerable punishment.

“I hope the court may, bearing in mind the fact that he is unlikely to come before the courts again, to say this is one of those exceptional circumstances.”

During the trial Ojedokun was described as “safe, reliable, trustworthy and caring and someone who tried to do the best for his patients”.

In sentencing, Judge Susan Evans said to Ojedokun that he “in a position of trust in relation to a vulnerable person but equally the court cannot ignore the challenging and difficult nature your job”.

She continued: “You were an experienced, well regarded and professional nurse doing what in any view is a difficult job, unfortunately on that particular day it was a particularly trying day – you had tea thrown at you by another patient.”

Ojedokun, from Felthem, Middlesex, is no longer able to work as a nurse, which Judge Evans said is “a huge loss to you, that is sadly also a huge loss to the health service”.

The former nurse was given a 12-month community order and must complete 60 hours unpaid work.

Mildmay Oaks is an independent hospital which offers a locked and secure in-patient rehabilitation service for adults with learning difficulties.