Sign up for our Crime and Punishment Newsletter The inside stories on the latest court stories from Wales Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A patient caused damage totalling more than £15,000 as he irreparably smashed a vital heart monitoring machine at Wales’ biggest hospital.

Davod Kakrodi, 32, was being treated in a resuscitation cubicle at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales when he lashed out and damaged the high-tech equipment.

The court heard Kakrodi attended the hospital, in Heath , on June 26 after cutting his tongue by putting broken glass in his mouth. The defendant, who has Iranian citizenship, was being treated for his injuries in a resus cubicle.

Prosecutor Anthony Cheung told Cardiff Crown Court while at the hospital Kakrodi became agitated and took a otoscope from the wall. He proceed to strike a nearby heart monitor screen with the device, which is used to examine the ear, “several times”. The heart machine was left irreparably damaged and the estimated cost of his actions came to more than £15,000.

Judge Nicola Jones highlighted how this was based on 2005 costs of the equipment and it may well now cost the hospital far more.

The police were called to the hospital where Kakrodi was arrested. Before leaving hospital he was certified medically and physically fit to be questioned by police.

Mr Cheung said: “The offence took place in a hospital department where patients with life-threatening injuries go. The offence was committed intentionally.”

(Image: Wales News Service)

Kakrodi has received three convictions for eight offences committed this year and is currently in custody at Cardiff prison, the court heard. He refused to attend his sentencing hearing on Friday.

Karl Williams, defending, read a letter to the court from the Home Office which said they would not be seeking to deport Kakrodi following the incident.

Judge Jones said: “There are very few resus cubicles that are essential for treating patients with life-threatening injuries.

“This equipment can no longer be used. So essentially a cubicle has been lost to the hospital and to the public as a result of this incident.”

Judge Jones also highlighted the hospital would now have to replace the equipment through a cost which would ultimately fall on the public.

Kakrodi, of no fixed address, was sentenced in his absence to 20 months in prison having admitted criminal damage. The judge also recommended Kakrodi be deported as he does not have UK citizenship.