A thug who attacked three security guards at a hospital claimed he was an “ex-paratrooper” who was “trained to kill”.

Tom Pym-Nixon not only threatened the trio, which included a female guard, but also punched one in the back and kicked out at the others while they were trying to get him out of the A&E area of the QEQM Hospital in Ramsgate Road, Margate, on July 8.

The guards had been called by medical staff after Pym-Nixon turned up in the emergency department, lay on the floor and would not move.

But as they tried to remove him from the department, the 33-year-old became aggressive and attacked them.

Eventually, after removing him, the guards managed to flag down a passing police car.

Pym-Nixon was then arrested and charged with three counts of assault on an emergency worker.

He was kept in custody and hauled before magistrates in Margate on July 10.

The court heard Pym-Nixon, of no fixed address but from Thanet, had received a suspended sentence just weeks earlier for other offences.

It meant he had committed the three assaults at the hospital while still subject to the order.

Julie Farbrace, prosecuting, told the court Pym-Nixon turned up at the QEQM at about 6.30pm that day.

She added: “The security guards were called to A&E as Mr Pym-Nixon was lying on the floor unconscious and there was no response.

“A nurse tried to rouse him, but couldn’t, so security were called and they tried to rouse him and eventually did, but he started screaming and shouting, ‘You are all *****.’”

Magistrates also heard that Pym-Nixon was then moved into a wheelchair, so the guards could wheel him out of the area, but he would not sit in it and kept standing back up.

Pym-Nixon was then walked out of the department by the security guards who followed him.

The prosecutor added: “Security then left with him. They were outside at the main entrance and he became verbally aggressive and said he would ‘do them over’.

“He then said, ‘I'm an ex-paratrooper trained to kill’.

“The guards followed him and he was still shouting and swearing and again said he would kill them and that he was trained to kill.

“He then walked around one guard and put his fist in his back, he wasn’t injured but felt pain.”

The court was also told Pym-Nixon then picked up a pole and flung it down on the ground before he returned to the A&E department, but once there, started swearing and shouting again.

As the guards followed him, he again made a threat that he was an ex-paratrooper trained to kill, but then he was put in the wheelchair.

Ms Farbrace added: “To remove him, they tried to pick up the wheelchair, but he jammed his foot in the wheel and then kicked out at the guards and tried to punch one.

“He again tried to kick them and then punched another in the chest, but again there was no injury.”

But as a struggle ensued, one of the guards was kicked in the face and Pym-Nixon then spat directly at him.

The spittle missed when the security officer took evasive action.

The prosecutor explained how, as the female officer tried to bring the situation under control, Pym-Nixon smacked her around the right cheek.

In return, the woman punched him in the face to stop him attacking her.

Pym-Nixon continued to threaten her and then punched one of the two male officers in the face and kicked the other on the side of the head.

Ms Farbrace added: “He has previous convictions and on June 10 he was convicted of criminal damage.

“Then, on July 3, he was in court again for possession of an offensive weapon, assault by beating and criminal damage.

“He was given a 12-week sentence, suspended for 12 months and was required to do 20 rehabilitation sessions.”

Roger Davis, defending, said his client had a bad upbringing and keeps offending and being sent to prison.

On the day in question, he said, Pym-Nixon had taken an overdose of prescribed medication.

He added: “He hoped it was going to kill him. He didn’t really know what was going on after he took the medication and alcohol.

“He’s homeless, he’s got mental health issues and keeps reoffending and being sent to prison.

“You could activate the suspended sentence, but he will be in the same position (when he comes out), there is no safety net.”

Magistrates were also told Pym-Nixon had been speaking with probation officers about his problems.

The court heard he wanted to try and get support and his benefits claim had started again, and so probation officers were trying to come up with a plan for a mental health referral.

However, the bench activated the suspended sentence he was serving and also jailed him for 12 weeks for each of the new offences, but the terms would run concurrently.

They told Pym-Nixon that the 12-week sentence would run consecutively to the suspended sentence, so in total he was jailed for 24 weeks.

He was also ordered to pay each security guard £50 compensation.

The chairman of the bench added: “You will serve that suspended sentence as you were given an opportunity last time (to stop offending), but you chose not to take it.”