Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Jonathan Humphries

Student charged over hospital rampage against medics and police

A 19-year-old woman is due in court charged over a rampage against medical staff and a police officer at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

Liverpool John Moore's University student Catherine Louise McSorley, originally from Belfast, is alleged to have struck a health care assistant over the head with a metal pole as well as attacking a paramedic and a police officer.

The incidents occurred in the hospital's A&E department at around 9.45pm on September 11 last year, after McSorley, now of Mount Pleasant in Liverpool City Centre, was taken to A&E.

READ MORE: Rape investigation launched after 'woman attacked in alleyway'

McSorley was arrested, questioned and later released pending investigation

Merseyside Police has confirmed she will appear in Liverpool Magistrates' Court on March 1, to face three charges of assaulting an emergency worker.

The health care assistant was reportedly "ambushed" by a woman who appeared to wait with the metal pole, understood to have been part of a drip stand, before striking her to the head in full view of other patients.

A witness described how the fact the victim's hair was tied into a bun may have cushioned the blow and prevented more serious injury.

The witness, who works in the hospital, said at the time: "These attacks seem to be getting worse.

"We just want more security in the building, and more CCTV.

"These people are just doing their jobs and they shouldn't have to risk being seriously injured or worse."

As the ECHO reported at the time, the incident was the second serious attack on A&E staff at the Royal in less than 24 hours.

At around 12.05am, a junior doctor suffered a broken nose and a mental health worker suffered bruising after being attacked by a male patient.

Merseyside Police said the man was reported to have directed a racist slur towards one of the victims before using homophobic language towards a police officer.

The force today confirmed a 35-year-old man was arrested but later released without charge over that incident.

At the time of the arrests, Detective Inspector Chris Saidi said: "Our NHS staff work tirelessly to protect our communities across Merseyside, day in, day out and we simply will not tolerate violence or threats made towards them.

"I’m sure the vast majority of law-abiding members of the public would agree that assaults on police officers or other emergency workers are totally unacceptable and the arrests we have made shows that this will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

"During one of the incidents last Saturday it was also reported that racial and homophobic slurs were directed towards a member of hospital staff and one of our officers. Hate has no place on Merseyside and I want to reiterate our determination to investigate and prosecute all those who we suspect are responsible for all such hate crimes and violence in our communities."

Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.