A drink and drug-fuelled nurse who booted her colleague in the face on a hospital ward has escaped punishment.
Lyndsay Brown lashed out at another nurse while she was being treated on a ward in the hospital where she worked.
Brown attacked the woman at Perth Royal Infirmary while she was having “a bit of a meltdown”, a court heard.
She had taken prescription medication and alcohol and had ended up in the hospital’s accident and emergency department because of her condition.
Brown, 41, admitted attacking Nicola Cassidy on December 31 2020 by kicking her on the head. She also admitted shouting, swearing and acting aggressively towards staff.
Fiscal depute Lisa Marshall told Perth Sheriff Court : “The accused is an orthopaedic nurse within Perth Royal Infirmary. She attended A&E due to her alcohol consumption and misuse of prescription medication.
“While she was being assessed she lashed out and kicked Nicola Cassidy, a nurse, to the head. Another nurse observed this and had to assist Nicola Cassidy due to the disturbance the accused was causing.
“When police attended, the accused was kicking out, flailing her arms and acting aggressively towards staff, while shouting incoherently. Police had to restrain the accused.”
Solicitor Jamie Baxter, defending, told the court his client was a mother-of-two who had a long history of struggling with her mental health.
“She has a borderline personality disorder,” he said. “At the time she was suffering a severe depressive episode. She has been put on different medication since that time.
“She had been feeling worse as the week had gone on. She decided she couldn’t cope with where she was at. She made plans to go no further.
“She had prepared notes for her children and taken the rest of her medication and consumed more alcohol. She has no recollection of anything that occurred.
“It was a cry for help. There are signs of optimism. The medication she is now on appears to be helping. She has not been able to return to work.
“She is a nurse herself and has worked in the hospital since 2007. The hospital has plans to move her to another department so she will not come into contact with anyone in A & E.”
Sheriff William Wood previously deferred sentence for six months and ordered Brown to be of good behaviour.
He said: “I don’t seek to diminish the seriousness of your behaviour.
“Nevertheless, it did take place against a background of spiralling mental health and in effect you had a bit of a meltdown.
“If you had taken drugs and alcohol and cannot remember anything that is your fault, as it was self-administered.”
He noted Brown had remained out of trouble during the deferred sentence period and admonished her on Wednesday.
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