Magicaha Jayne Leigh-Broo Patrick pleads guilty to two assaults
A woman has faced a court after she assaulted a nurse and a police officer at a rural North Queensland hospital. DETAILS
Police & Courts
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A Bowen woman has admitted to pinching a nurse’s breast and “hitting her with closed fists” before assaulting a police officer.
The incident occurred at the Bowen hospital in October 2023.
Magicaha Jayne Leigh-Broo Patrick, 27, was at the Bowen hospital on a Wednesday morning as she had taken an overdose of her medication.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors said officers were initially called for a disturbance at the hospital about 11.35am after Patrick had left the room allocated to her, walked into the corridor and pulled a curtain down, ripping it.
Sergeant Myors told Bowen Magistrates Court when a staff nurse told her it was inappropriate, Patrick pinched her right breast, and “hit her with closed fists, grabbing her arm and scratching it”.
Sergeant Myors said when police officers talked to her outside the hospital, Patrick hit one police officer in the leg with her phone in hand.
Duty lawyer Cleo Rewald said Patrick had a long history of mental health struggles and was on an NDIS pension.
When reading the report, Magistrate Michelle Howard noted the mention of Patrick having an “emotionally unstable personality”, and being “on the spectrum”.
“Sometimes, she just has a bad day and the only option is the hospital,” Ms Rewald told the court.
Ms Rewald added Patrick had written a letter of apology to the hospital staff.
Patrick pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, assaulting the nurse and causing occasioning bodily harm, and wilful damage.
Ms Howard told Patrick she needed the continued assistance of probation officers for an extensive period, but that she would leave the incidents out of her record as she had no prior history.
Patrick was placed on 12 months probation and convictions were not recorded.
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Originally published as Magicaha Jayne Leigh-Broo Patrick pleads guilty to two assaults