Bo Moran: The ‘utterly reprehensible’ actions of an aggressive patient led to a paramedic’s horrific injury

A Mangerton man who was thrown out of Wollongong Hospital, sparking an altercation which maimed a veteran paramedic, has faced court. Watch the video as it happened.

A magistrate scolded a Mangerton man for his “utterly reprehensible and inexcusable” behaviour which was followed by an incident which left a veteran paramedic with a horrific knee injury.

Bo Moran, 35, sat, almost motionless on Wednesday in Wollongong Local Court, through a three-hour hearing into the events which unfolded on June 3, 2021 when he was charged with behaving in an offence manner in a public place, obstructing an ambulance officer providing a service to another, obstructing an ambulance officer by an act of violence and reckless grievous bodily harm.

Moran pleaded guilty to the first two charges, however, he contested the final charge of causing reckless grievous bodily harm (which also underpinned the third charge), arguing he was acting in self defence.

Around 2pm on the day in question, Moran presented to the Wollongong Emergency Department with stomach pains, however, after becoming aggressive he was asked to leave, the court heard.

Moran returned to his Myuna Wy abode where he called triple-0 with paramedics conveying him the 1km distance back to the hospital.

Nurses tried to treat Moran, but his abusive and aggressive behaviour led to two security guards being called to his bed.

Bo Moran front Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: Facebook

“Give me some morphine c****,” Moran yelled while an eight-year-old child was being treated in the adjacent bed.

He was administered morphine, however, his outburst continued which led to another two security guards surrounding his bed.

Moran started doing push ups, puzzling head nurse, Peter Henderson who asked why he was doing them.

“It f***** makes me feel better... Me guts, f***,” Moran replied.

Mr Henderson offered Moran valium for further relief and told him if he continued to threaten staff he would be told to leave.

“If you give me attitude, I’ll give you attitude,” Moran responded before he was asked to leave., the court heard.

Moran was carried out by a group of security guards while he yelled “Someone video these c****, I‘ll f****** have you, f***you... I’m going to come back if they have to give me stuff, you can’t stop me”.

CCTV footage of Bo Moran being carried out of Wollongong Hospital. Picture: Supplied

CCTV footage of Bo Moran being carried out of Wollongong Hospital. Picture: Supplied

The security guards released him when they got to the end of the driveway and off the hospital grounds, but shortly after, Moran obstructed an ambulance, carrying a 70-year-old man with a serious leg injury, trying to enter the premises.

A paramedic, 57-year-old John Bevan, was in another ambulance and knowing the plight of the man in the other ambulance he attempted to move Moran out of the way.

Mr Bevan attempted to wrap his arms around Moran who ducked and weaved which caused the paramedic of 32 years to slip on the wet bitumen before his knee “popped” and he blacked out.

Mr Bevan sustained fractured proximal tibia (a fractured knee) caused by a “significant twisting injury”.

An x-ray of screws and plates inserted into John Bevan’s leg. Picture: Supplied

In court on Wednesday, Mr Bevan, wearing a bulky knee brace and requiring the assistance of a walking stick, gave his recollections of the “traumatic event” for the first time.

“I believe one of the nurses told me [as I approached him] to be careful,” Mr Bevan said.

“I asked him to move away from the ambulance, I asked a second time, but he didn’t respond to either request. I had two options, either to push him away, but that could be dangerous because it would push him into traffic, or the second was to bear hug him and maintain control of him.

“I said ‘C’mon mate, just move away from the ambulance with me’ and then I fell onto the ground, felt a pop and went black.”

John Moran's leg in a brace as a result of the incident. Picture: Supplied

The court also heard from Mr Henderson who witnessed the incident between Mr Bevan and Moran from 30 metres away, Senior Constable Wesley Dallas and two security guards, Warren Lewiston and Paul Ceva.

Mr Lewiston, who had spent 25 years in the police force before becoming a security guard about a decade ago, recalled one aspect of the incident differently to Mr Bevan.

“[Mr Bevan] walked past me [and towards the ambulance on the street] and I wondered what he was doing,” Mr Lewiston said.

“He said ‘Hey’ and launched himself at the accused and at the same time [Moran] went down and flicked the ambulance officer off and on to the bitumen.”

The other security guard, Paul Ceva, said Mr Bevan had yelled “Hey” before ”grabbing him in a bear hug and trying to move him out of the way”.

“[Moran] grabbed the ambo by the chest area and threw him over his right leg like a judo move and onto the ground,” Mr Ceva told the court.

“It was with quite a bit of force, not a simple push, he drove him into the ground.

“He landed awkwardly and started to scream and grabbed his left knee.”

Moran‘s barrister, Tim McKenzie, asked Mr Ceva if he was a “judo expert”.

“No,” Mr Ceva replied.

Bo Moran will be sentenced in August. Picture: Facebook

Magistrate Michael O’Brien described Moran’s conduct on the day as “utterly reprehensible and inexcusable” while also labelling him a ”nuisance and a menace”.

However, Magistrate O’Brien said the prosecution was unable to convince him Moran had acted “recklessly” beyond reasonable doubt.

“The difficulty I have is what precisely happened at this juncture,” the magistrate said.

“We have three different versions of what the accused did.

“I don’t think I can be satisfied to the requisite standard.”

Magistrate O’Brien dismissed the charge of reckless grievous bodily harm before withdrawing the charge of obstructing an ambulance officer by an act of violence.

The magistrate, along with Mr McKenzie, acknowledged there was “no question” that Mr Bevan‘s conduct was anything other than appropriate.

Moran‘s bail will continue ahead of his sentencing in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, August 17.