Doctor punched by drunk man he was helping ends up in court for hitting back

A highly-regarded local doctor has been fined £360 after he punched an aggressive drunk man he had been asked to go and treat.

Dr Martin Thom, 43, was called out to help with a 999 because of a lack of ambulances.

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When he arrived, the patient resisted help and punched the GP three times.
The red mist descended and Dr Thom cannot remember punching the patient, who has not been identified, twice in the head or pushing him up against the wall.

Dr Thom had just finished a morning and afternoon shift when he responded to the 999 call in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.

Dr Martin Thom leaving a hearing of the MPTS in Manchester. A family doctor assaulted a drunken and aggressive man in the street during a bout of stress after he was sent on his own to treat him at the roadside due to a shortage of ambulances. Dr Martin Thom, 43, had been dispatched to examine the man in the street by a 999 call handler because the only ambulance in town was on an emergency call. But the GP snapped and thumped the patient twice in the head and pushed him against a wall when he believed the victim was resisting his attempts to check him over. 

Thom, who had already completed a morning and afternoon shift at the surgery when he was called out, was later convicted of assault at Peterhead Sheriff Court and was fined £360. The identity of the victim is not known. At Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester, Thom, who lives in Ellon, near Aberdeen faced being struck off but he was suspended from practise for two months after he apologised saying he under stress due to working ''in a challenging environment.''

Dr Thom cannot remember punching the patient (Picture: Cavendish)
He’s been a GP in the town for 11 years and frequently went to call-outs because the town only has one ambulance for a population of 20,000.
His colleagues, patients, family and friends spoke highly of him giving character references for him.

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Dr Thom was convicted of assault at Peterhead Sheriff Court and was fined £360.

He also faced being struck off but instead he was suspended for two months after apologising and saying he was under stress because he was working ‘in a challenging environment’.
Panel chairman Michelle Codd told him: ‘By your admission of guilt, you accepted that you had exceeded the level of force that was justified to deal with the situation before you.’

Should the doctor have been taken to court?
Yes, he punched a vulnerable man
No, he had every right to fight back
saltoun

He has worked at Saltoun surgery for 11 years (Picture: Google Street View)
She added: ‘You stated that you felt threatened in a situation over which you had no control with no support. You said that the patient approached you and shoved you before punching you three times to your head.

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‘You tried to defend yourself. You have no recollection of punching the patient but you accept that you did so.
‘You accepted that you should have ensured your own safety by withdrawing, but rather you acted disproportionately and assaulted the patient for which you apologise.’