A yob has been jailed after he smashed up and tried to steal from cars belonging to heroic NHS staff working "flat out" at a hospital against coronavirus.
Cleveland Police said Callum Wood, 31, was caught at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital on Sunday.
A health care assistant had finished a 12-hour shift at the Marton Road hospital to find her back windscreen shattered.
Others discovered similar scenes after "risking their lives" treating other patients, reports Teesside Live.
Wood, of Middlesbrough, admitted four counts of attempted theft from a motor vehicle, and was jailed for 12 months.
Detective Constable Elizabeth Malcolm, from Middlesbrough CID, said: "At a time of national crisis, this man has broken into vehicles belonging to NHS staff and tried to steal from them.
"It's appalling that anyone would do this at any time, let alone when our NHS colleagues are working flat out and putting themselves at risk for others.
"Coupled with Callum Wood's previous offending, he was quite rightly sentenced to three months consecutive for each offence, a total of 12 months imprisonment.
"We welcome the sentence and want to warn anyone else who thinks it is acceptable to behave in such a manner, or who causes fear or harm in the current climate, we will find those responsible and we will prosecute them."
He received a three-month custodial sentence for each count of theft to be served consecutively.
The charge of being possession of a sharply bladed article was withdrawn.
Wood was also ordered to pay £122 victim surcharge.
