A BROKEN JAW

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 95, 19 October 1938, Page 16

A BROKEN JAW

MENTAL PATIENT'S INJURY

CHARGE AGAINST ATTENDANT

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, This Day.

The trial of Robert Mcffat Jordan, attendant at the Seacliff Mental Hospital, on a charge of assaulting a patient, began this morning before Mr. Justice Kennedy, He pleaded not guilty.

The Crown Prosecutor stated that the patient was not a person who cc-uld, give evidence, so that the Crown case rested upon other evidence. The allegation was that the accused went to the patient's bedroom and struck him, breaking his jaw. The evidence would show that on the afternoon of December 9 this patient, " who was of an aggressive type, struck Jordan a violent blow without provocation. This was an act a patient was always ( likely to commit, and Jordan should have regarded it as just an unfortunate incident in the course of his work. At that j time Jordan had to exercise force fo restrain the patient, but there was no | suggestion that improper force was used. The Crown case was that at 8 o'clock the same evening Jordan was seen at the door of the patient's room by another attendant, to whom he said, "I'm going in here to fix this fellow up," to which the other attendant said, "Don't be silly." Jordan replied, "Don't say anything about it. Don't mention my being up 'here." The next morning the patient was observed to have a swollen face and it was discovered that a bone in his jaw was broken. Jordan denied striking the blow. (Proceeding.) ;