SARAH Jean Shayler behaved so badly at the Albury hospital that staff moved to restrain her and finally called police.
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But they had seen her before.
Shayler, 34, had been hostile, aggressive and her errant behaviour had escalated over more than two hours after police took her to the hospital for assessment about 8pm on March 28.
Two security officers helped nurses, ward staff and two other people to restrain her, but she resisted violently.
One man had been leaning across Shayler, holding her left arm to stop her striking out, and she tried to bite him.
But someone else was holding her head.
Lifting her head from the bed, she spat saliva directly into the man’s left eye.
He was given immediate medical attention so his eye could be flushed to minimise the risk of infection.
It was at that point staff made a triple-0 call to police, seeking help to control Shayler.
When officers arrived, Shayler was extremely loud and using profane language.
Everyone could hear it throughout the emergency unit, including elderly people and young children.
She was told to lower her voice, looked directly at a doctor, called him an Asian and told him to get out of her country.
The man who had been spat on expressed his disgust and made a statement to police.
Shayler, of Kurnell Place, Albury, yesterday pleaded guilty in Albury Local Court to charges of assault and using offensive language.
Magistrate Tony Murray fined her $1150 and put her on a bond.
Mr Murray was told police were unable to fingerprint or photograph Shayler because of her behaviour.
He said Shayler’s behaviour was a bad example of an assault offence and many people had been present.
Shayler was convicted, put on a two-year bond and fined $800 for the assault and $350 for the other charge.
“I woke up with bruises all over me. This is a bit harsh,” she told Mr Murray.
She asked what would happen if she didn’t want to be on the bond and was told she’d go immediately into custody.
Shayler chose a bond.