Latrobe Health doctor Shizar Nahidi guilty of speeding 30km/h over limit: Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court

A Traralgon doctor claims he had to do more than 30km/h over the speed limit to medicate a mentally ill patient who had threatened his staff and there was no one else who could help.

Latrobe Regional Hospital medical officer Dr Shizar Nahidi told the court there was a “code grey” situation at his work on January 9 last year which was why he was speeding. Picture: David Caird

A country doctor says he had to do more than 30km/h over the speed limit to medicate a mentally ill patient who had threatened his staff.

Shizar Nahidi pleaded not guilty in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Monday for exceeding the speed limit by 25km/h but less than 35km/h.

Nahidi, who works at Latrobe Regional Health as a hospital medical officer, contested the charge.

The 45-year-old told the court he was notified one of his patients with serious mental health issues had an altercation with staff on January 9 last year.

Nahidi said the incident was labelled as a “code grey” — where a patient displays abusive, threatening or violent behaviour towards others.

Shizar Nahidi was found guilty in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Monday after he was caught speeding more than 30km/h over the limit. Picture: Monash University

He said he was only travelling at 91km/h in a 60km/h zone because his patient was at risk of harming themselves or others if he did not arrive quickly to assist and prescribe medication.

Under questioning from the prosecution, Nahidi — who was wearing green scrubs — told the court there were no other doctors in the ward who could help, and that he didn’t know whether the situation would have had a different outcome if he had followed the speed limit.

The prosecutor also noted there were three different childcare centres on the busy roads near the hospital.

But defence lawyer Mark Woods said there was no evidence the road was busy at the time of the offence.

Magistrate Alanna Duffy said Nahidi relying on a defence of emergency was not a “reasonable response”.

In finding him guilty, she said she didn’t believe “such an emergency existed”.

“In my view, speeding in a few seconds would not make a significant difference to arrival time,” she said.

Ms Duffy fined Nahidi $300 without a conviction and suspended his licence for three months.