The Leader reported last week on the sentencing of 20-year-old Margaret Flynn, of Y Wern in Wrexham, for assaulting four ICU ward staff at the hospital.
Wrexham Magistrates Court had heard at the sentencing hearing how Flynn was being treated there in November 2024 when she became verbally and physically abusive towards nurses and health workers.
As well as threatening them, she spat in the eye of one of her victims, kicked another in the cheek, kicked one in the chest and scratched another with a needle.
After Flynn’s sentencing, Geoff Ryall-Harvey, north Wales regional director at Llais, told the Leader: “This is the most appalling case I have ever heard.
“Staff must have been incredibly frightened. The consequences are that people just leave after incidents like this.
“Healthcare staff are not easy to find – and ICU staff even more so.
“Those highly skilled, highly trained staff may choose not to work with the public anymore for their own safety and wellbeing.
“It happens again and again to NHS staff who are dedicated and want to save lives and make life better for people. It’s just unacceptable.”
Mr Ryall-Harvey said while he felt “some sympathy” for the defendant, who the court heard has her own vulnerabilities, she had behaved in a way that would have “consequences that will ripple down through her life for many years.”
“It’s a complicated case,” he said, but the bottom line is this didn’t need to happen.
“She dragged other people into a world of violence and threats, to no good end.
“ICU staff are not psychiatrists. They’re not trained to deal with that.
“And there are other people there with life-threatening conditions.
“It’s utterly inexcusable and unacceptable.”
In a personal statement, read to the court by prosecutor Huw Evans, one of the victims, Collette Howarth, said: “I don’t expect this when I come to work.
“I’ve been in this role for 15 years and the behaviour by Margret is the worst I’ve ever seen from a patient.
“I come to work to help people, not to be assaulted.
“As a result of this [incident] we had two members of staff going to A&E, which had a knock-on effect on other patients.”
One of the other victims, Chloe Jones-Batho said in her victim statement: “Margaret’s behaviour was completely unacceptable considering there were other patients on the ward who were critically ill.
“Her behaviour caused major disruption on the ward and other patients had to be moved.”
Following the sentencing, Tehmeena Ajmal, chief operating officer at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “While we understand that some people are under extreme stress when they need our services, there are no circumstances where NHS staff should face violence or aggression in the course of their work, and we will always seek a prosecution against the perpetrators of such abuse, where it is appropriate.
“Such incidents can have a devastating impact on our hard-working staff, who provide an incredible service in often difficult circumstances.
“This is acknowledged by the vast majority of the public we serve, who are polite and understanding.
“I would also like to pay tribute to North Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for bringing this individual to justice.”
At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Flynn received a suspended sentence with rehabilitative work requirements.