Batemans Bay man Brandon Dean threatened to kill staff at Hornsby Hospital
A nurse’s frightening ordeal has been revealed after a NSW south coast man pleaded guilty to attacking the staff-member with a surgical knife, only moments after threatening to kill them.
The South Coast News
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A nurse responding to an emergency call at a busy Sydney hospital suddenly found himself under attack from an intoxicated man armed with a surgical knife in a terrifying ordeal.
Brandon Dean, 27, pleaded guilty at Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday to common assault, intimidation, and being armed following the frightening incident at Hornsby Hospital on October 20, 2021.
About 7.40am, the male nurse was only an hour into his shift at the hospital when he received an “alert call”, a warning intended to tell wardsman and security that assistance is urgently needed in a particular area, agreed police facts reveal.
Arriving at the emergency ward, the nurse found Dean beside his bed, arguing with another nurse over medication intended to quell his aggressive behaviour.
After a time, Dean agreed to lie down and was given a sedative injection which lasted about 30 minutes.
“Dean then ripped off the blood pressure cuff, threw it on the ground and yelled: ‘What are you doing to me?’” police facts state.
“At this time, the nurse was sitting nearby and stood up to walk slowly towards Dean.
“As he approached, Dean tried to pick up a computer and throw it at the nurse.”
After failing to lift the computer, Dean approached the nurse, grabbing him with both hands and throwing him to the ground.
Standing over the nurse with a clenched fist, Dean told the nurse: “I will kill you”.
“Dean then made his way to the counter of the emergency ward and barricaded himself with an equipment trolley,” police facts reveal.
“While waiting for security, Dean proceeded to throw a ligature knife at the nurse. The knife only narrowly missed him.”
Having seen the attack, a nearby witness hit an emergency call button.
Security personnel arrived soon after and sedated Dean before taking him to the adult mental health facility.
For the following five months, Dean remained in the facility where he received treatment for mental health issues.
On April 15 2022, he was visited by police at Macquarie Hospital.
Dean told officers he did not remember much of the incident as he had been unwell and had been on “ice” for a long time.
He further stated all he could remember from the attack was “grabbing the nurse and putting him on the ground”.
Appearing at Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday, lawyer Adam Sumbak said Dean suffered from undiagnosed bipolar disorder.
“He was also under the influence of drugs at the time,” Mr Sumbak said.
“The innocent hospital staff have just been caught in the middle of that.
“But, he has now re-engaged with mental health and has been referred to a telehealth session.”
Magistrate Doug Dick told Dean he had a duty to protect people, including hospital staff.
“One of my jobs is to protect vulnerable people, which includes hospital staff,” he said.
“It could be doctors, nurses, even janitors. They are often dealing with people who are being irrational, like you were.”
Dean was convicted and sentenced to a two-year community corrections order. He will also pay a fine of $1500.
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