Man pleads guilty to ‘assault by beating’ following incident at GP practice  

A man has pleaded guilty to several offences including ‘assault by beating and criminal damage’, following an incident at a GP practice in Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Police told Pulse officers were called to the Bradford on Avon Health Centre on Tuesday evening (17 March) following reports that a man ‘had caused damage to the surgery and pharmacy’.  

In a statement, the practice said the building closed on 18 March ‘due to an incident resulting in damage to the health centre’ and all planned face to face appointments were moved to telephone appointments as a result. The practice told Pulse it was able to reopen the following day (19 March).

Aaron Dean James, 37, from Bradford on Avon has since pleaded guilty to ‘affray, two counts of assault by beating, assault of an emergency worker, criminal damage and trespass on a railway’, according to Wiltshire Police.

He has been remanded in custody for sentencing on 17 April at Salisbury Crown Court, the force added.

A spokesperson for the force told Pulse: ‘A man has pleaded guilty to several offences following an incident at the Bradford on Avon Health Centre.

‘Police were called to the centre just after 6pm on Tuesday following reports that a man had caused damage to the surgery and pharmacy.

‘Aaron Dean James, 37, from Bradford on Avon has pleaded guilty to affray, two counts of assault by beating, assault of an emergency worker, criminal damage and trespass on a railway.

‘He has been remanded in custody for sentencing on 17 April at Salisbury Crown Court. Anyone with information should call 101 and quote crime reference number 54260032385.’

Pulse has reported extensively on incidents of GP abuse and vandalism of GP practices.  

Medical defence organisation MDDUS has found a quarter of GPs said they or a member of their team were subjected to physical violence from patients in 2024, while over 80% of GPs experienced verbal abuse.