STAFF refused to treat a blood-soaked man because of his rowdy and abusive behaviour in a busy hospital's casualty department, a court heard yesterday.

Prosecutor Michael Hammond told Harrogate magistrates how police had been called to a house in the suburb of Bilton because Stephen Garnett and his partner Dawn Woodhouse were rowing and Ms Woodhouse was distressed.

One of her two children, aged 13 and 15, made the 999 call from the house in Poplar Grove which 37-year-old Garnett shares Ms Woodhouse. He refused to leave and told police that if they arrested him he ''would fight back."

They managed to get him into the back of a police van but he began to bang his head repeatedly on its side, causing a gash which left him covered in blood by the time he arrived at the police station.

Because of Garnett's injury immediate treatment was ordered but when police got him to Harrogate District Hospital he was still struggling aggressively and swearing so nurses declined treatment until he calmed down.

Mr Hammond said Garnett - who the court heard had convictions for assault and racial harassment - continued his abuse for the two hours he remained at the hospital.

Garnett pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour and resisting police.

His solicitor Simon Berger said the incident might not have happened had police adopted a more diplomatic approach. ''He feels police went slightly over the top and worsened the situation,'' said Mr Berger.

Garnett, an unemployed labourer now reconciled with Ms Woodhouse, was ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid community work and pay £55 costs.