Former Braidwood Multi-purpose Hospital Nurse Robert Richardson horsewhipped ex

A tribunal has cancelled a nurse’s registration following his sentencing for chasing and whipping his partner after calling her a “Babylon’s whore”. Find out what happened.

Robert Richardson worked at Braidwood Multi-Purpose hospital between 2006-2020. Picture: Supplied.

A nurse who horsewhipped his ex-partner has had his registration cancelled after he failed to tell the health worker watchdog he had been found guilty of a domestic violence related offence.

Robert Richardson, who worked at the Braidwood Multi-Purpose Hospital from 2006 to 2020, will not be able to apply for nurse registration for six months.

According to police facts, in May 2020 Richardson’s partner ended the relationship but needed to stay at his property while she searched for another place to live.

While staying at his property she returned home and began to make a cup of tea for herself — but was interrupted by Richardson holding a horsewhip and calling her a “babylon’s whore” and a “ slut”.

A nurse has lost his registration for 6 months after he was found guilty of a domestic violence related assault. Generic image.

The nurse accused her of cheating on him, and when she refused to respond, he whipped her on her right leg three times.

The woman ran into a bedroom to call triple-0, but Richardson took her phone away and ran outside the house.

Following this, the victim found the nurse’s phone and called Richardson’s mother with his phone.

A second person came to the house and spoke to the woman, who told them Richardson had whipped her.

After this person left, the woman locked herself inside the home and began to collect her belongings.

But 15 minutes later, Richardson returned home, smashed the laundry window to get inside, and chased her around the house holding onto the horsewhip.

Richardson initially faced three assault charges over the incident.

Robert Richardson was found guilty of assaulting his ex when he appeared at Queanbeyan Local Court.

When he appeared at Queanbeyan Local Court in October 2020, Richardson was found guilty of a single charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was sentenced to an 18-month conditional release order without conviction.

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal judgment stated Richardson failed to notify APHRA about the charges against him within seven days.

Additionally, the judgment states Richardson failed to respond to questions regarding a professional complaint.

The tribunal also found Richardson refused to participate in a required drug test.

The judgment stated the Health Care Complaints Commission told the tribunal, “domestic violence is intrinsically serious, antithetical to the conduct of nursing and of a kind which should be found to render the respondent unfit to practice.”

The tribunal concluded “to maintain public confidence in the profession”, it was appropriate to cancel Richardson’s registration for six months due to Richardson’s failure to appear at most sitting days of his case.

“We suspect that had the practitioner appeared (before the tribunal), exhibited remorse and demonstrated some insight into his conduct, it is possible that we may have imposed a lesser protective order, such as suspension or a reprimand,” the tribunal members said.

“However, the practitioner did not appear, and the Commission correctly submits that there is no evidence before the Tribunal to assess the practitioner’s current fitness to practice, including his current level of insight — if any — into his conduct and his degree of remorse.”