A hospital receptionist says she raced to a surgeon’s side in the moments after he was allegedly punched to find him unconscious and choking, a jury has heard. Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann, 41, suffered head injuries last May when he fell at Box Hill Hospital after allegedly being struck to the head by 24-year-old Joseph Esmaili. The surgeon’s life support was turned off weeks later. Esmaili is on trial in the Supreme Court, having pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. Megan Brodersen called security over a radio from her reception desk to come quickly to break up an argument between the two men whens he heard a bang, she told the court on Thursday. She looked up and, through reflection in a window, saw Mr Pritzwald-Stegmann, a surgeon at the hospital, on the ground. Ms Brodersen recalled rushing to his side, seeing him unconscious, choking and not breathing. She called for help and moved him into the recovery position. “He was very stiff, kind of convulsing. I put him in the recovery position and that’s when the blood came out of his nose and mouth” she said. “It felt like forever but [help] came very quickly.” In the lead up, Ms Brodersen said she heard Mr Pritzwald-Stegmann tell Mr Esmaili “you can’t talk to me like that” and repeatedly asking, “did you just spit on me?” Administration worker Lucy Jackson said she saw the punch reflected through a window, but under cross-examination by Mr Esmaili’s barrister John Desmond, admitted she didn’t see Mr Esmaili’s fist connect. It’s alleged the argument began after Mr Pritzwald-Stegmann asked a group outside the hospital to stop smoking in a non-smoking area. Leigh Clayton, one of the smokers, told the court earlier on Thursday the doctor seemed angry and frustrated they failed to move on a s he had asked and he “stormed back inside” to get security. “He was pissed,” she said. The trial continues.
October 25, 2018
Tweed Health for Everyone Pty Ltd has a s.365 (Application to deal with contraventions involving dismissal) to resolve before Fair Work Commissioner Booth in his Brisbane chambers (Cox).
October 25, 2018
Royal Flying Doctors Service of Victoria is facing a s.739 (Application to deal with a dispute) in front of Fair Work Commissioner Wilson in Court 12 – Level 5 in Melbourne (Rose).
October 25, 2018
Australian Laboratory Services Pty Ltd has a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) to answer before Fair Work Commissioner Harper-Greenwell in Court 6 – Level 6 in Melbourne (Ramanananthan).
October 25, 2018
Parramatta Mission is still beset by a s.773 (Application to deal with an unlawfyl termination dispute) before Commissioner McKenna in Hearing Room 12 – 2 – Level 12 in Sydney (Pye).
October 25, 2018
Lifestyle Solutions & Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union has a s.576(2)(aa) – Promoting cooperative and productive workplace relations and preventing disputes) on foot before Deputy President Booth on-site at the Novotel Sydney Centre at 9am.
October 25, 2018
Cops have descended on an aged care facility in Sydney’s affluent eastern suburbs and slapped a pair of handcuffs on a 102-year-old resident. He will face court next month over an alleged aggravated indecent assault at an aged care facility in Sydney’s east. Police will allege the resident at the facility on Carrington Road, Waverley, indecently assaulted another resident, a 94-year-old woman, at about 12.30pm yesterday.
October 24, 2018
A s.225 (Enterprise agreement) termination application from Programmed Maintenance Services Ltd T/A Programmed Facility Management for its Programmed Facility Management Victoria Employee Collective Agreement 2012 has been accepted by Senior Deputy President Hamberger in Sydney on 22 October 2018.
