Man Gets Jailed For Stealing Surgical Masks From a London Hospital

• Lerun Hussain was charged with theft for taking three masks at a busy hospital.
• Earlier, a surgery practice was robbed of its surgical masks.
• Hospital staff was advised to protect themselves from people looking to steal medical supplies.

With hospitals desperate for more surgical masks to use, it’s no surprise that stealing protective face gear comes with truly harsh penalties. A man recently got a three-month jail sentence for taking some masks at a hospital in London.

Lerun Hussain was detained by the security staff of Kings College Hospital in Denmark Hill when he took three surgical masks. The 34-year-old was was arrested and charged with theft.

Hussain pleaded guilty at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on April 7 and was given his sentence on the same day.

He was also held for breaching a court order.

Kings College Hospital was already experiencing a shortage of face masks due to the coronavirus crisis.

The incident was just one of the several that happened across the UK involving the theft of medical supplies – which are truly crucial during these times. Earlier, Church Street Surgery, a practice in Kidderminster, had masks stolen from their facility.

Using social media, the practice urged the thieves to return the masks, since these are necessary to keep their services operational.

Fortunately, the facility received individual face mask donations, which included some from a local dental practice.

The incident was reported to the West Mercia police, which would investigate the matter.

The practice eventually issued a statement on social media, saying:

“We are totally humbled by the kindness and generosity we have received today in light of the post we made this morning regarding our stolen masks.

“The messages of support have been overwhelming and we have received extremely generous donations of masks from individuals which now means we have enough to keep our staff safe until our official supplies arrive.”

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust has advised its employees to always cover themselves up with jackets whenever they are wearing their uniforms. This was done to protect the staff from being targeted by those who are looking to steal medical supplies.