A mentally ill patient at a Warrington hospital injured two members of staff, a court heard yesterday, Tuesday.
Phoebe Stanworth, who was a patient on Primrose ward at Arbury Court, and kept under constant observation and on June 5 last year had been trying to gain access to the kitchen without permission, said Kevin Liston, prosecuting.
At 6pm she came out of her room shouting and refused a request by healthcare assistant Darren Hobbs to go back in. Staff nurse Michala Cleverley also told her to go back in her room.
“She refused and appeared to lunge towards nurse Cleverley. She and Darren Hobbs put her in an approved restraint hold. As they were walking her to the seclusion room she suddenly kicked her right leg out making contact with nurse Cleverley who fell to the floor.
“She maintained her hold of Phoebe Stanworth which pulled her towards her and Darren Hobbs tried to maintain his hold. As he turned his left knee popped and crunched,” Mr Liston told Liverpool Crown Court.
Nurse Cleverley could not get up and another member of staff arrived to help. After the nurse returned to the office she found her right trouser leg had ripped when she fell and she had bruising to her right knee.
Mr Hobbs’ knee began to swell and he sought medical help and it was x-rayed and it was found his meniscus cartilage was damaged and a piece of bone was floating around.
A week later he was struggling to walk and a MRI scan showed the cartilage needed surgery. Nurse Cleverley suffered bruising to her right calf and ankle and had to take painkillers.
Stanworth was ruled unfit to enter a plea to the charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm and assault by beating and at a hearing last year a jury found that she had committed those acts.
Stanworth, aged 32, attended the hearing from Sturdy Community Hospital in Leicester, today via video link.
Simon Mintz, defending, said that the defendant, who has been detained in hospital for three and a half years, was suffering from bipolar affective disorder which is susceptible to treatment.
After reading reports from two psychiatrists confirming this Judge Charlotte Crangle imposed an order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act requiring her to be further detained at the hospital.
