Hospital worker gives evidence in manslaughter trial of surgeon Patrick-Pritzwald Stegmann
A HOSPITAL worker has described to a jury how she cradled a surgeon’s head in her hands as he bled and convulsed after being fatally punched by a man at Box Hill hospital.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A HOSPITAL worker has described to a jury how she cradled a surgeon’s head in her hands as he bled and convulsed after being fatally punched by a man at Box Hill hospital.
Witness Megan Brodersen was working at reception the night Joseph Esmaili felled heart surgeon Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann, causing him to fall back and hit his head on the tiled floor in May last year.
Mr Esmaili has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.
ACCUSED DIDN’T MEAN TO HIT SURGEON ‘THAT HARD’: COURT
ACCUSED ONE PUNCH KILLER TOLD WITNESS ABOUT ANGER ISSUES: COURT
Mr Pritzwald-Stegmann had approached Ms Bordersen and her two colleagues to ask them to call security for a group of people smoking near the front entrance of the hospital.
“(Mr Esmaili) told Patrick to go get f***ed,” Ms Brodersen said.
The receptionist said she watched the two men continue to argue in the reflection of the glass doors and heard the doctor say “did you just spit on me?”
In her testimony, Ms Brodersen said she did not see the punch but saw Mr Pritzwald-Stegmann lying flat on floor after hearing “a bang”.
Ms Brodersen, who is also a nurse, said the doctor was unconscious and not breathing when she ran to his aid.
“He was choking on something,” Ms Brodersen said.
“He was very stiff and kind of convulsing,” she said.
With the help of other witnesses, Ms Brodersen said she rolled the father-of-two onto his side and held his head in her hands.
Once on his side, blood poured from his nose and mouth, the court heard on Thursday.
Mr Pritzwald-Stegmann was taken to the Alfred Hospital for emergency surgery but died about a month later from his injuries.
John Desmond for the defence will argue the doctor died because he life support was turned off, not because of the punch itself.
A friend of the accused told the court he heard Mr Esmaili yell: “Oh f**k, he made me do it” seconds after the fatal punch.
Witness Corey Rogers said Mr Esmaili cried and repeatedly apologised as the pair drove to Mr Roger’s mother’s house after the incident.
The trial continues.