Teen who punched doctor sentenced

A teen who punched a doctor who was trying to treat him at Gore Hospital has been sentenced.

Bailee Brown, 19 of Kelso, punched Dr Fazal Mann at the hospital on November 4, 2020.

Mann was concussed, suffered headaches, ringing in his ear and his glasses were broken.

‘‘It’s a hard enough job as it is without idiots like you lashing out,’’ Judge Bernadette Farnan said to Brown in the Invercargill District Court yesterday.

Brown appeared for sentencing, after earlier admitting a charge of assault with intent to injure and wilful damage, as well as drinkdriving and careless driving.

Defence lawyer John Fraser said Brown had no recollection of the hospital incident.

‘‘He realises it was an absolute silly, stupid act,’’ Fraser said.

Judge Bernadette Farnan sentenced Brown to six months’ community detention and nine months’ intensive supervision with a daily curfew, ordered him to pay $738 for Mann’s broken glasses and disqualified him from driving for four months.

Because of a broken ankle Brown could not do community work, so Judge Farnan ordered him to make a $250 donation to a driving offenders course, and Brown would also have to do a drug and alcohol assessment as directed by probation.

Mann had never been treated so poorly in his 23 years as a doctor, Judge Farnan said.

The summary of facts says Brown and three associates entered the hospital’s accident and emergency department at 10.28pm on November 4, 2020.

Brown was being medically assessed by Mann when a male associate was disruptive, and Mann asked him to leave.

While Mann was speaking to the man, Brown approached him from behind and punched him in the side of the head using a closed fist.

The force of the punch caused Mann’s glasses to break.

Brown left without receiving treatment for his injury.

Brown explained to police that he became angry because the doctor kept touching the cut he was being treated for.

Brown then returned to the hospital the next morning to receive treatment for his injury.

While on bail on November 25, Brown was driving and when pulled over blew 308mcg.

ROBYN EDIE/STUFF Gore Health Clinical Director Dr Fazal Mann was punched at the Gore Hospital Emergency Department by a patient who came to the ED for treatment.