Gary David Clarke pleads guilty to assault with indecent intent against Hobart Hospital patient

A Tasmanian hospital employee who committed a foul assault on a young female psychiatric unit patient left the woman “shaken and frightened” that nobody would believe her story because of her condition. The man’s identity revealed.

Gary David Clarke pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with indecent intent. Picture: Katie Hall

A Tasmanian hospital employee who committed a foul assault on a young female psychiatric unit patient left the woman “shaken and frightened” that nobody would believe her story because of her condition.

Gary David Clarke was a cleaner at the Royal Hobart Hospital when he preyed on the “vulnerable” young woman in 2023.

He has pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with indecent intent.

Clarke appeared in Hobart Magistrates Court on Tuesday for what was set down to be a sentencing.

The court heard the young woman had been admitted to the psychiatric unit of the hospital on medical grounds.

Gary David Clarke was a cleaner at the Royal Hobart Hospital when he preyed on the “vulnerable” 18-year-old woman in May 2023. Picture: Katie Hall

Prosecution submitted to Magistrate Michael Daly that Clarke’s offending had been aggravated because of the position of trust he had held as an employee at the hospital, and that the woman had been “vulnerable” as a patient.

The woman outlined the assault in a statement to police, which was read to the court.

It was heard that on one occasion, she was standing at the nurse’s station, waiting to ask about her medication, when Clarke began to speak to her.

“He seemed intrigued about what medication I was on; I wonder if he was seeing how vulnerable I was …,” her statement read.

It was then that Clarke made a comment about her appearance.

The woman said Clarke’s comments made her feel so anxious that her “heart was pounding”, and so she “just nodded” in response.

Clarke’s conduct only worsened, the court heard.

In a later incident, Clarke hugged the woman and “rubbed up and down” her bra line for one minute before kissing her.

“I was freaking out at this point, I don’t think I was able to answer him,” the woman’s statement read.

The woman in her statement said she was left “a mess” for the rest of the day, and that medical staff offered her a “sitter” – which she declined, opting instead to stay in the common areas of the unit.

The prosecutor told the court the woman video called her mother afterwards.

Her mother told police her daughter had been “crying”, “shaken and frightened” during the conversation.

“ … [The young woman told her mother] she was worried because nobody would believe her, because she is in a mental health ward,” the prosecutor told the court.

Clarke’s lawyer asked that a presentence report be prepared before finalising the sentencing on another date.

Mr Daly said the report would help him assess Clarke’s suitability for a home detention order.

“Because it is either jail, or home detention, are the obvious options to consider …,” Mr Daly said.

Clarke was bailed to return to court in November.

Originally published as Gary David Clarke pleads guilty to assault with indecent intent against Hobart Hospital patient