[A] man from Sedbergh in Cumbria has pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage on three separate dates to property belonging to Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust [Carleton Clinic] in Carlisle, and on another occasion causing damage at the Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal.
Stephen Wesley Copestake, 46, also pleaded guilty to two-charges of assault by beating on two-different members of staff at the Carleton Clinic while he was a patient there.
Copestake gave his address a Main Street, Sedbergh, when he appeared at the Magistrates Court in Carlisle the court was told during dates in April, May and June he caused damage to interior walls and a chair, damaged an internal door, and damaged a CCTV camera, these incidents took place at the Carleton Clinic, also on a date in May he damaged glass in safety door, and damaged a floor and paintwork in the hospital in Kendal.
Copestake also pleaded guilty to assaulting two-members of staff at the Carleton Clinic, one of the incidents was while a member of staff was a escorting him along a corridor, he punched the victims jaw, the other member of staff was head-butted to his face during a different assault.
District Judge Gerald Chalk was told the defendant is of previous good-character, and at the time of the incidents he was suffering from “bipolar disorder and was having manic-episodes“ at the time he had not the ability to co-operative, he is now on medication and is coping much better the court was told.
Copestake was fined £125 on each of the four-charges of criminal damage, on the assault charges one of the victims was awarded £75 in compensation while the other victim was awarded £100, he was also placed on a conditional order of discharge of one-year on the assault charges, and has to pay court costs of £85.
