A VITAL piece of medical equipment worth £20,000 was smashed by an irate patient at Glasgow’s super hospital.

Gary Stewart was being treated in A&E at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital on April 3 this year when he lashed out.

He punched the Philips Observation Unit, smashing the screen and damaging the pricey kit irreparably.

The device, which monitors patients' blood pressure and heart rate, was one of only 12 in the hospital.

Stewart had been waiting in a cubicle for around two hours with injuries to his chest, neck and leg when the incident happened.

The 43-year-old appeared at Glasgow Sheriff court earlier this week to be sentenced after pleading guilty to damaging the machine.

The court heard that Stewart “was placed within a cubicle in A&E shortly after arriving at 4am.” but “became severely irate and requested several times that he wished to leave the hospital.”

Around 6am, Stewart was informed he was next to be treated, at which point he “immediately got off the bed, turned to the right and swung a punch at the Phillips Observation machine.”

The Pollokshaws man, of Shawhill Road, was then arrested.

Prosecutors said the damage could have “severe consequences” on treatment of patients, and it “placed the cubicle out of commission”.

Stewart’s solicitor said: “It is a disappointing episode and nobody is more disappointed than Mr Stewart himself.”

He explained at the time of the incident, his client had been suffering “a considerable amount of anxiety” about a relative’s health problems.

Alcohol issues and mental health problems were also an issue for Mr Stewart at the time, but since he has started engaging with support services.

The solicitor explained: “He has effectively been in a position to make transformational steps in his life to address his alcohol issues and mental health issues.

“He accepts the machine was damaged and accepts the cost of the replacement of the machine.”

Stewart was ordered to complete 18 months of supervision with the social work department and 180 hours of unpaid work within nine months.

He has also been ordered to stay at home between 10pm and 7am for months.