Neo Wood from Woolgoolga in Coffs Harbour court for alleged hospital assault

A young man admitted to a general ward of a Mid-North Coast hospital allegedly raped an elderly male patient before assaulting a health worker, with the entire incident filmed by another patient.

Coffs Harbour hospital.

A young man admitted to a general ward of a Mid-North Coast hospital allegedly raped an elderly male patient and assaulted a health worker, with the entire incident filmed by another patient.

Neo Wood was in a general ward at Coffs Harbour hospital on the night of January 29 this year when the alleged attack took place.

Wood appeared before Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday by video link remanded in custody after his arrest.

The 21-year-old, whose occupation is recorded as a casual cleaner in court documents, is facing three charges and is yet to enter a plea.

He is charged with having sexual intercourse without consent and sexually touching the same alleged elderly male victim without consent between 11.30 and 11.45pm.

Inside the Coffs Harbour health campus hospital.

Wood is further charged with assaulting a female frontline worker in the course of her duty causing actual bodily harm during the same time frame.

His lawyer urged Magistrate Theresa Hamilton to grant him strict bail to live at his mother’s house at Woolgoolga, telling the court Wood had no prior criminal history.

But police prosecutor Kylie Banks opposed, saying it was too difficult to determine “how unpredictable” he would be in the community.

She told the court Wood was admitted to Coffs Harbour hospital but staff were apparently “not aware how much of a danger he was to others”.

Ms Banks said it was clear Wood had “mental health concerns” but there were indications he was suffering “drug induced psychosis from MDMA and LSD”.

According to Ms Banks, another patient in the ward at the time “filmed the entire” incident on a phone.

Ms Hamilton granted bail on the condition Wood does not leave his mother’s house unless in her company.

The case has been adjourned to April 15.

Coffs Harbour Health Campus falls within the Mid-North Coast Health District under NSW Health. The department was contacted for comment with a spokesperson providing the following statement.

“The safety of staff, patients and visitors at our hospitals is our highest priority. We are unable to provide further comment as the matter is before the courts.”