Hospital patient punched and broke emergency panel during visit

A court heard that a woman broke a plastic emergency panel while staying in hospital after getting angry and punching it.

Lauren Hardy, 22, of Parkway in Lynn, appeared in the town’s magistrates court on Thursday, where she admitted causing the damage at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Prosecutor Sarah Fiddy said that on February 2, Hardy was a patient at the hospital and her her boyfriend was staying with her in the ward.

When he began to leave, she screamed and punched the emergency panel which was securing an oxygen tank.

Hardy said in her police interview that it was an accident and that she was angry at the time.

She was originally given a police caution for the offence but didn’t comply with the orders of paying £60 to the hospital.

In mitigation, Deborah Robinson explained that Hardy was in hospital struggling with her mental health at the time of the offence.

She told magistrates that Hardy couldn’t afford to pay the £60 at the time to comply with the police caution.

“She is trying to get her life back,” said Ms Robinson.

Hardy was ordered by magistrates to pay £60 in compensation and to pay £50 in court costs.