A DOCTOR was pursued through the corridors of a hospital and savagely beaten by a man he refused to admit, a court was told.

The duty psychiatrist at the Royal Bolton Hospital had been called out to see Graham Johnson, who had had been brought into hospital by police who were concerned about his agitated state.

But after spending 30 minutes with Johnson, Dr Zachary Fitzgerald concluded Johnson was being less than honest with him in order to be admitted to the hospital.

Dr Fitzgerald then made several calls in order to find Johnson somewhere to stay the night and managed to fix him up with a bed at the Salvation Army Hostel.

But Johnson became agitated and suddenly punched the medic in the face. The doctor ran off pursued by Johnson who caught up with him and punched and kicked him.

Yesterday Johnson, aged 30, of Bromwich Street, Bolton, appeared at Bolton Crown Court for sentence for assaulting Dr Fitzgerald and causing him actual bodily harm. Judge Brian Carter jailed him for 18 months.

Prosecutor Alaric Bassano said Johnson continued the "frenzied attack" on the doctor even when he was curled up in a ball on the floor trying to protect himself.

The doctor managed to get to his feet after Johnson stopped hitting and kicking him. Johnson was hyper-ventilating and his fists were clenched.

The police were called and when Johnson realised what he had done he was very apologetic and repeated his apologies when he was taken to the police station.

Defending, Amanda Johnson said that Johnson had been involved in some trouble with a neighbour and was in an agitated state and the police had taken him to the hospital.

He had completely lost control when the psychiatrist refused to admit him because he thought the doctor was not taking his complaint seriously. He was now in bedsit accommodation and had found a job recycling batteries in a scrap-yard in Bolton and had made efforts to rid himself of drugs.

Judge Carter told Johnson that doctors and others in public service had to be protected from violent acts by people like him.

"He came to the view that it was wrong for you to be admitted. You started to attack him and punched him and kicked him and you did that repeatedly. It is an absolute disgrace that a doctor carrying out his work was attacked by you.

"He said he had been very scared as he was a mild person who had never encountered anything like that in his work or in his private life.

"The message must go out that those who attack a doctor carrying out his work in hospital, or in the surgery or anyone in public services who are carrying out their duties in the course of their life are to be protected.

"And the only way to protect them is to make it clear that an attack you carried out will result in immediate custody."

Judge Carter said that he hoped that a pre-sentence report recommendation that Johnson be helped with anger management, self-esteem, victim awareness and drug misuse courses will be carried out while he is in prison.

A spokesman for Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust said: "It is awful that such a case should ever have to be brought at all -- our doctors and nurses come to the hospital to help people, not to become victims of violence. "This was a particularly nasty incident which shocked all of us. The trust will not tolerate violence against its employees and the outcome of this case demonstrates not only our determination, but the support of the police and the courts."

Dr Fitzgerald did want to talk about the incident. He was back at work not long after the attack. The spokesman said: "He wants to thank his colleagues for their support and he now wants to put the incident behind him.