‘I feel a lot of remorse’: Patient apologises for verbally abusing Geraldton Hospital nurses

A man has admitted damaging a hospital bed and verbally abusing staff, as well as other offences. Police prosecutor Sergeant Paul Birkinshaw told Geraldton Magistrate’s Court Darcy John White, 18, was taken to Geraldton Hospital on March 1 for a mental health assessment after breaching a police order earlier that day. Sgt Birkinshaw said White had called nurses “f... sluts,” and was “extremely aggressive, yelling as loud as he could” while at the hospital. He then damaged the foot of the hospital bed by kicking it. Appearing by video link, White apologised for his actions. “I feel a lot of remorse for my actions and feel really bad for what I did,” he said. “I really didn’t want to be there (the hospital) at the time, and I know that’s no excuse for how I acted.” White’s counsel, Fiona Hugo, told the court he had relocated to South Australia to live with his father, had been assisted with mental health and hadn’t used methamphetamine since moving. She said his actions had had “very specific triggers”, methamphetamine use and mental health issues, that he was now addressing. Magistrate Chris Miocevich said White had pleaded guilty at a relatively early opportunity. “The offences aren’t trivial,” he said, but added White’s young age and lack of a previous criminal record were in his favour. “It was despicable what you were saying to those nurses, they shouldn’t have to put up with that,” he said. “But you were having mental health issues.” White was given a spent conviction and fined $1000 after pleading guilty to charges of damaging property, disorderly conduct, and breaching the police order, as well as earlier charges of possessing drug paraphernalia with meth residue on it and driving an unlicensed vehicle. He was also ordered to pay $118.50 in costs.