An 18-year-old man has appeared before the ACT Magistrates Court charged with murder after an incident involving him and another patient at the Canberra Hospital on Sunday.
The man, from Bonner in Canberra's north, is alleged to have murdered a 38-year-old fellow patient at the Adult Mental Health Unit in Woden.
The man did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
He has been remanded in custody and will likely be transferred to the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit in Symonston, which is a secure facility for adults with complex mental health needs.
A suppression order has been placed on the names of both the accused and the victim.
ACT Policing said they responded to an alleged altercation about 12:10am on Sunday and found hospital staff trying to revive the 38-year-old male patient, but he died at the scene.
A post-mortem will be conducted in the coming days to determine the victim’s cause of death, but police have said they do not believe a weapon was used.
It’s understood the two patients had only known each other for a few days before the incident.
In a statement issued on Sunday, ACT Mental Health Minister Emma Davidson described the situation as "very distressing" for the families involved and for staff and patients at the Adult Mental Health Unit.
Canberra Health Services said the unit was fully staffed and under capacity at the time of the incident.
