Blackpool mental health hospital worker was punched three times by agitated patient

A hospital worker was brutally assaulted at work, a court has heard.
Harbour HospitalHarbour Hospital
Harbour Hospital

Patient Leon Yonothan Uzan, 28, launched the attack when he was told he would be remaining in the Harbour mental health hospital at Blackpool for further treatment.

Preston Crown Court heard he had previously been an inpatient and had been discharged on a community treatment order, but had been recalled after breaking "house rules" on a community treatment plan.

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Jailing him for 33 weeks, Recorder Sophie Cartwright said: "Violence and aggression and assaults on public servants, and in particular on health staff, are unacceptable and intolerable."

Harbour HospitalHarbour Hospital
Harbour Hospital

On Saturday May 12 he had been assessed by a consultant, who decided he needed to be detained for further treatment.

Danulta Jaszek, a healthcare professional, was tasked with informing him of the development.

Prosecuting, Emma Keogh, said: " The complainant was working at the Harbour hospital which is when she came across Mr Uzan.

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"It was on May 12 when she was asked to go and explain to him that he was going to be kept at hosp and she had assessed him in same way as the consultant had. That was why she was in the small room she was in with Mr Uzan.

"It was as she was explaining what was going to happen to him and the reason for his ongoing treatment that she was assaulted by him. She describes she was sat in the chair when he stood up and he punched her to the face.

"She was completely shocked but then she was punched a further time by the defendant.

"She describes how he punched down at her, with a clenched fist, in the nose. He punched her in the head and she couldn't get out of the chair so she put her head down towards her knees and covered it with her arms.

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"Two other staff in the room screamed for assistance and she managed to get out of the room and run to another nurses' room.

The court heard she suffered "heavily blackened eyes" and bruising.

In a victim impact statement she said it had affected her ability to work and left her "on edge" and worried about men being violent towards her.

Recorder Cartwright refused to suspend his sentence due to a high likelihood of reconviction and breaches of previous suspended sentences.

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She said: " It's right to highlight you had indicated that if she were to detain you that you would punch her and in fact that is what happened.

you struck her on three occasions with a clenched fist when she was sat in a chair.

"She is of the belief that had others not intervened, that assault would have continued.

"Clearly you had capacity at the time you performed the attack on her.

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" I'm not satisfied there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, given your continuing use of drugs. "

Uzan, who gave his address as Swift Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

In March the Gazette revealed in 2016/17, Lancashire Care Trust logged 596 patient-on-staff attacks, alongside 224 patient-on-patient attacks, four staff-on-patient assaults, and one staff-on-staff attack.