Man dressed as ‘Grim Reaper’ stared at patients from roof of Welsh hospital
Nation.Cymru staff
Police and fire service were called out after a man who dressed up as the ‘Grim Reaper’ stared at patients from the roof of a Welsh hospital.
Leon Gillespie, 26, from Deganwy, donned an all-black hooded outfit and stood overlooking the entrance to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd hospital in Denbighshire, north Wales.
Four police cars and a fire crew were sent to apprehend Gillespie after he stayed on the roof for nearly an hour on Saturday.
Hospital visitors were shocked at the sight of him standing motionless and brandishing what appeared to be a long blade.
No explanation was given for the stunt when Gillespie appeared in front of magistrates in Llandudno.
His outfit was also described in court as being a ‘crow’.
Gillespie was fined £200 after pleading guilty to causing a nuisance at a hospital.
A spokesman for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: “The health board has previously stated it has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, aggression or nuisance within its hospital sites.”
Gillespie also admitted separate offences of stealing £30 to 40 of cat food and cat litter from Pets at Home on March 26, and food and drink from Sainsbury’s on May 28.
Both were committed in Llandudno.
He was ordered to pay £50 in compensation, £100 in fines, and £100 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.
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He is wearing a Marx and Sparks dressing gown, they are brilliant, one down from ski-suits, my tip for a cold winter…
What goes up must come down, maybe as snow…
Bit of cognitive dissonance with this. It appeals to my sense of humour but I absolutely understand why people would find it genuinely upsetting.
Silly stunt or comment on health outcomes? The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) logged 11 new “never events” during the 2025/26 reporting year—an increase of 6 compared to the previous year. “Never events” are described as serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not happen if national quality and safety guidance were followed. BCUHB has spent around ~ 8 years in special measures and ~11 years under heightened Welsh Government monitoring.