Man who exposed himself to Health staff jailed - Jersey Evening Post
by Megan Davies · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
Man who exposed himself to Health staff jailed
by Megan Davies 16 June 202616 June 2026
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A MAN who drunkenly exposed himself to hospital staff and patients before hurling abuse at them has been jailed to give his victims “a break”.
The Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday that Paul Michael Gardner (61) had a history of drunkenly abusing emergency services staff as part of an “endless cycle of offending”. He was jailed for a total of five months.
Speaking after the sentencing, Health Department managing director Andy Weir, said: “Today’s sentencing sends out a clear message that inappropriate and abusive behaviour towards our staff (and visitors) will not be tolerated, and that healthcare workers should be able to go about their work without being subject to unacceptable behaviour.
“Health and Care Jersey are very much committed to reducing and addressing these issues, and have a number of current initiatives in this area which report to the Workforce Committee, a sub-committee of the Advisory Board.”
In court, it was heard that, earlier this year, Gardner drank three-and-a-half bottles of vodka and six cans of Royal Dutch lager before showing up at the Hospital – which he said was an attempt to obtain valium.
Legal adviser Kerry Grieve, prosecuting, said that staff saw him exposing himself and crossing the room with his trousers and underwear down, with members of the public present.
Staff had to send members of the public to another area, Ms Grieve added. He then became abusive towards staff, the court was told.
When police arrived, they reported Gardner to be “extremely intoxicated”.
During a police interview, Gardner said he had been given his trousers by his social worker, but that they were too big and fell down.
He accepted the disorderly conduct “may have happened”, Ms Grieve added.
“He has an unenviable record and has numerous like offences – exposure, disorderly behaviour – in relation to emergency service workers.”
Advocate James Bell, defending, said Gardner had spent seven weeks on remand – the equivalent of three months in custody – and that he had entered early guilty pleas to disorderly conduct and indecent exposure.
Gardner had offered his apologies to the health staff involved, he said.
He added: “He accepts that any kind of rude language in a public place with staff is inappropriate and he would like to offer his apology for that.”
A psychiatric report last year had found Gardner might have autism, causing issues which had still not been addressed. He encouraged the court to “put faith” in social workers enlisted to help Gardner, adding that a prison sentence would not help matters.
Handing down the sentence, Assistant Magistrate Adam Clarke said: “You appear to be in an endless cycle of offending, imprisonment, detox and relapse and a cycle which you appear to be doing very little to break.”
A prison sentence would serve two purposes: give members of the public and emergency personnel “a break from your offending” and to give Gardner “a chance to avoid alcohol”.
The offences were “targeted towards hospital and emergency staff”, which was an aggravating factor, he said.
“The best way of showing your apology is when you come out to not reoffend.”
He sentenced Gardner to five months for indecent exposure and two months for disorderly conduct, running concurrently.
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