‘Most dangerous’ prisoner escapes punishment after attacking nurse

A woman once widely considered Australia’s most dangerous female prisoner has avoided further punishment after attacking her nurse.

A woman once widely considered Australia’s most dangerous female prisoner has avoided further punishment after throwing her tea at a nurse at a Sydney hospital.

Rebecca Jane Butterfield was jailed for 12 years in 2003 after stabbing her cellmate 33 times with a carving knife and pleading guilty to manslaughter but was released from prison earlier this year.

The 50-year-old was transferred from Silverwater Prison in Sydney’s western suburbs to Long Bay Forensic Hospital, where she remains in a form of medical detention.

It was there that police alleged Butterfield, whose violent offences date back to the late ’90s, threw a cup of tea at a nurse, landing her back in court on Monday.

Butterfield was charged with assaulting a frontline health worker following the incident on July 5 but sought to have it dealt with under the Mental Health Act.

Under the Act, a magistrate can release a person without punishment, including any jail time, if they are found to be suffering from a mental or cognitive impairment.

Despite describing Butterfield as a “dangerous person”, magistrate Michael Barko said she was “very unwell” and was likely to remain in detention at Long Bay hospital.

Rebecca Butterfield pleaded guilty to manslaughter after stabbing her cellmate 33 times.

“The defendant (Butterflied) suffers chronic mental health illness, impairment, cognitive impairment … she is a very unwell woman,” Mr Barko told the court.

“A kind nurse offered her a cup of tea and thankfully, in accordance with protocol, the tea was not hot. Without provocation, she has thrown it on the nurse.

“The good nurse was just doing her job, dealing with a very difficult patient … She is a dangerous individual and there is no surprise she is on this supervision.”

Mr Barko said the nurse was not injured in the incident, but it caused her “stress”, and described Butterfield as having a “shocking criminal history”.

The court was told Butterfield was subject to a five-year extended supervision order, but the order had not come into effect while she remained in hospital.

The prosecution did not oppose the matter being dealt with under the Mental Health Act, with Butterfield continuing to undergo counselling in hospital.

Several doctors provided their opinion to the court in support of the finding, noting that Butterfield saw the incident as an “opportunity for self-reflection”.

She did not enter any pleas and will remain in medical detention.