Probation for causing hospital disturbances

A 25-YEAR-OLD man who threatened a registered nurse with a syring at Toowoomba Hospital has been sentenced to two years’ probation.

Michael Gordon Coulter had been in the hospital for two weeks after a serious heart operation when he was being treated by two nurses on January 21, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

When the nurse went to administer medication through a syringe and needle, Coulter had grabbed the syringe and applied it to himself, police prosecutor Leea Trewin said.

When the nurse held out a tray for him to place the syringe in he had motioned to her with a jabbing action, saying: “Do you want me to stab you with it?”, she told the court.

He had then gone across the road to a park to have a cigarette where he was spoken to by police, telling officers he was only joking.

The victim was fearful of the patient and was so upset she had to go home early from work, Snr Const. Trewin said.

Police had been called to the hospital again on February 2 when again an agitated Coulter had caused a disturbance and made threats to staff.

Police were yet again called back to the same hospital about 10pm February 4 after Coulter had asked a nurse for scissors with which to chop up a small amount of cannabis he had on him.

He had then caused a disturbance, yelling at staff and police, the court heard.

Coulter pleaded guilty to serious assault of a public officer while armed with a weapon, two counts of causing a public nuisance and one of possessing a dangerous drug.

His solicitor Joe McConnell, of MacDonald Law, told the court his client had been having some mental health issues at the time.

Magistrate Kay Ryan placed him on two years’ probation to include random drug testing and fined him $450.