Nepean Hospital shooting: Bail and ice was a near fatal cocktail

A MAN who allegedly took a female doctor hostage before shooting a cop at Nepean Hospital was allegedly awaiting treatment for an ice binge when a decision was made to remove his police guard.

Shooting Nepean Hospital

A MAN “known to be violent towards police” who was left unguarded at Nepean Hospital has been charged after allegedly taking a female doctor hostage and shooting an officer.

Police yesterday launched an investigation into the decision by St Marys Local Area Command to grant Michael de Gruzman bail as he sat with officers awaiting treatment after an alleged ice binge.

De Gruzman, 39, a former nurse, had been arrested at 1.18pm Tuesday and charged with breaking into a house at Colyton and three counts of assaulting police after allegedly resisting arrest.

A witness said that a man had been holding a blade to the throat of a woman and was yelling when hospital security and police arrived to try and settle him down / Picture: Bill Hearne

Questions are being asked as to why he was issued with a court attendance notice while waiting for treatment at Nepean Hospital instead of being refused bail to appear before a court yesterday.

The officers who had been guarding him left as they were needed to do general duty work in the area.

Opposition justice spokesman Paul Lynch yesterday said there should be a full inquiry into the decision by police and into the use of court attendance notices.

“There must be enough police officers in NSW to allocate more resources if they were needed to keep this man under guard,” Mr Lynch said.

“Court attendance notices have an entirely appropriate role to play but they are not something that should be used on every occasion.”

Senior Constable Luke Warburton, whose gun was snatched by de Gruzman, was taken off the critical list late yesterday after further surgery for the bullet wound which hit his femoral artery.

The same bullet hit a hospital security guard in the knee. He is in a stable condition.

Police sealed off the hospital moments after the shooting. Picture: Bill Hearne

Constable Warburton, 38, who along with his police dog Chuck was involved in the arrest of notorious bush fugitive Malcolm Naden in 2012, was rushed to Nepean Hospital after a 000 call at 10.30pm Tuesday.

Police radio issued a warning stating the man involved was “known to be violent towards police’’.

Three officers arrived at the busy emergency department at the same time to find de Gruzman allegedly sitting on the floor, his back to a wall, his arms around a young female doctor and a pair of scissors allegedly held to her throat.

Senior Constable Luke Warburton with police dog Chuck./ Picture: Rohan Kelly

“They could not shoot because they would have killed the doctor,” a source said.

After the gun was discharged, de Gruzman was allegedly dragged away screaming and shouting.

He had previously worked at Nepean and Westmead hospitals but had been battling an ice addiction, it is alleged.

De Gruzman, of Rouse Hill, was charged with shooting with intent to murder, discharging a firearm to ­resist arrest and detaining for ­advantage.

Two Nepean Hospital security guards attend Penrith Police station with their clothing in evidence bags following the shooting. Picture: Bill Hearne

He was due to appear in Penrith Local Court yesterday but was deemed medically unfit to appear and was returned to Nepean Hospital under heavy police guard. He needed facial injuries stitched and it is understood he had a suspected broken jaw.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn, who visited Constable Warburton in hospital early yesterday, said a critical incident investigation was under way.

“At the moment my thoughts are with the officer,’’ she said.

De Gruzman is expected to appear at Penrith Local Court today.

NURSES’ PLEA FOR GUNS DENIED

Janet Fife-Yeomans and Mark Morri

EMERGENCY department nurses who pleaded for dedicated security guards to protect them from violent patients had their request turned down by the Ministry of Health last month.

It forced nurses and other medical staff to seek private self-defence classes to protect themselves from dangerous patients, NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association acting general secretary Judith ­Kiejda said yesterday.

The near-fatal shooting at Nepean Hospital on Tuesday highlighted the increasing dangers faced by emergency department staff from patients affected by the drug ice.

“The association has held ongoing concerns about violence and assaults occurring in our public hospitals,” Ms Kiejda said.

At its annual conference in October, the association passed a resolution that the “safety and welfare of those nurses working in emergency departments should be of the highest priority”. It asked for security guards solely for emergency departments.

“We’re aware NSW Health does provide some training to hospital staff, however we know this training takes time to roll out ­because nurses and other medical staff are seeking private self-defence classes to better protect themselves from violent patients,” Ms ­Kiejda said.

In December Ministry of Health workplace relations director Annie Owens told the association that security arrangements were adequate.

Currently security guards are deployed where needed in a hospital and not stationed at any one point.

“The ministry considers the current mandated approach to determine security staffing is appropriate and allows for consideration of local circumstances,” Ms Owens said. “Importantly, this approach is consistent with current work health and safety legislative requirements.”

One nurse of more than 30 years told The Daily Telegraph he was terrified as he awaited medical results after being bitten by a patient last week and said he would not be returning to work. “You find yourself on the floor wrestling guys every single shift,” the man, in his 50s, said.

Health Services Union secretary Gerard Hayes said the drama at Nepean Hospital showed the need for stronger protections: “(We need) to have the power to be able to restrain and detain people.”

Health Minister Jillian Skinner said she would meet with the HSU next week along with Ministry of Health secretary Dr Mary Foley to discuss security concerns.