By Sarah McPhee and Clare Sibthorpe
A violent assault in the emergency department of a Sydney hospital that left a woman fighting for her life was senseless and unprovoked, court documents allege.
Furniture removalist Richard Po Lun Lim, of Russel Lea, was remanded in custody on Friday afternoon after he appeared in Parramatta Local Court over the assaults at Bankstown Hospital.
Police allege Lim, 28, grabbed two women, aged 58 and 63, and assaulted them about 3am on Thursday, before punching and choking an 80-year-old woman and hitting her head against a wall, causing her to lose consciousness.
The eldest woman was in a critical but stable condition in hospital on Friday afternoon. The younger women – believed to be related to the older woman – have been discharged.
Lim has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent, choking a person with intent to commit an indictable offence, intentionally choking a person with recklessness and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Wearing a black hooded jacket and black baggy pants, Lim did not apply for bail when he appeared via video link in court on Friday, and it was formally refused.
Court documents show the 28-year-old has previously been named in 19 police event reports, but this is the first time he has been charged with a criminal offence.
Magistrate Alan Railton asked Lim to confirm his identity, before telling him he would next face Burwood Local Court on February 29.
He asked Lim if he understood he would remain in custody until then. Lim put his head down and murmured “mmhmm”.
According to police documents tendered to the court, Lim is a casual furniture removalist who earns $500 a week, half the amount of his outgoings.
The document, containing the police reasons for refusing Lim bail ahead of Friday’s court appearance said this was the first time he had been placed in custody or charged with a criminal offence.
“These offences are senseless, unprovoked and seriously violent assaults that have resulted in the infliction of serious and life-threatening injuries and significant victim fear,” the document states.
“These offences were committed upon three defenceless women, one of whom is elderly.”
Police claimed their case against Lim was strong, as they had gathered forensic evidence and multiple statements from the victims and witnesses and may obtain CCTV evidence, with jail “highly probable” if Lim were to be convicted. They reasoned that he should be refused bail due to the nature and seriousness of the alleged offending.
A hospital spokesperson said social workers were supporting the family of the elderly woman still in hospital after the assault and that no staff had been injured. Those who had witnessed the incident had been offered counselling and support.
It said the safety of patients, staff and visitors was a top priority and there was a zero-tolerance policy towards violence.
There have also been two recent alleged incidents of patients injuring staff or other patients at Blacktown Hospital.Credit: Wolter Peeters
“Public access to the ED has been maintained and there has been no disruption to patient care or services,” the spokesperson said.
In an unrelated incident at Blacktown Hospital last month, a man allegedly threatened staff with a knife and injured a security guard.
And in October, a nurse at Blacktown Hospital was stabbed in the face with blunt scissors.
A government spokesperson said NSW Health had recently hired more security.
“There is never an excuse for aggression and in all cases, appropriate action will be taken to protect patients, health employees, visitors and health service property,” the spokesperson said.
“All NSW Health staff are trained to identify the early warning signs of aggression and security and clinical staff are trained to respond in teams to de-escalate and respond to aggression”.
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