NSW community carer Nicole Lee Watkin pleads guilty to assaulting a police officer at Boronia Heights
A personal carer has pleaded guilty to serious assault after she kicked a heavy chest of drawers into two emergency services workers, crushing them, as they attended an incident at a southeast Queensland home.
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A PERSONAL carer who had overdosed on prescription medication and was having a possible psychotic episode at a residence in Logan became so violent when paramedics tried to treat her she kicked a heavy chest of drawers into two emergency services workers, crushing them.
Nicole Lee Watkin, 32, from Nowra on the New South Wales south coast, was charged with common assault, serious assault of a police officer, and obstructing police for the February 11 incident at Boronia Heights.
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Today, a court heard that paramedics were called to the resident at about 8.40pm with reports a woman may be overdosing. When they arrived, they witnessed the female patient, Watkin, wedged between the foot of the bed and a heavy tallboy chest of drawers. She refused to come out.
Police prosecutor Snr Const Danielle Hill said Watkin was having an “emotional breakdown” and began swearing at paramedics, telling them to “f*** off” and leave her alone.
Police were called after it was determined Watkin, who was behaving erratically, required sedation. Officers tried to remove her, but she braced herself against the bedframe and couldn’t be budged.
“She appeared to be having a psychotic episode,” Snr Const Hill said.
Twenty minutes after the first sedative had been administered, there was still no sign it was having any effect. As police and ambulance officers moved in on the hysterical Watkin, she kicked the tallboy chest, which toppled over into two of the officers.
A policeman raised his right arm to cushion the blow, spraining his wrist, while a female paramedic sustained bruised ribs where she was struck by the falling furniture.
After the second sedative took effect, she was rolled onto her stomach and placed into handcuffs. She was taken to hospital where police charged her the following day. The court heard she was “very apologetic” and seemed genuinely remorseful. Watkin has no criminal history.
Defence lawyer Alex Weddell said his client was going through a difficult time and had driven up from Nowra to plead guilty to the three charges.
Magistrate Louise Shephard said she had an uncharacteristic episode and her offending was at the “low” end of the scale. She said the mitigating circumstances warranted less punishment than usual.
Watkin was placed on a 12-month, $750 good behaviour bond. Convictions were not recorded.