A psychiatric nurse saw one of her colleagues being held in a headlock by a patient and slammed into a locker, the Supreme Court in Hobart has heard. Medical doctor Arlene Maree Taylor, 35, who was a patient at the Royal Hobart Hospital’s psychiatric intensive care unit in September 2015, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a nurse on September 24. Nurse Jennifer Symonds today said she was working on the day the alleged assaults took place. “I saw Elizabeth being pulled up in a headlock by Arlene and I saw Arlene dragging Elizabeth out the bedroom door,” Ms Symonds said. She said she and another nurse went to help their colleague. “Elizabeth … was unable to free herself … she was being thrown about and ended up being thrown into a locker,” Ms Symonds said “When she was slammed up against the locker, her eyes went bulgy — for want of a better word — and she screamed out in pain and dropped to the floor briefly.” Dr Taylor, who is representing herself, told the jury she did not dispute that a scuffle took place. Dr Taylor said she had been detained under the Mental Health Act against her will at the time. She said detained patients “can be administered medications against your will”. Dr Taylor said whether she was intoxicated at the time to the point the insanity defence could be invoked would be an issue on the trial. Crown prosecutor Tony Jacobs said the alleged assaults were clearly intentional. The trial, before Acting Justice David Porter, is continuing.
