A woman threw water ‘as hot as tea’ at a care manager in a hospital whilst repeatedly screaming a racist slur at her. Sarah Jagger, 36, had been receiving treatment at Park House, a psychiatric hospital within North Manchester General Hospital, when she launched the unprovoked attack.
As the care ward manager was going into her office, Jagger approached her, shouting and talking over her. She then threw hot water over her before punching and kicking her.
As another member of staff intervened, she was also kicked and left with bruising to her body.
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During the attack she was heard to repeatedly call the woman a racial slur.
Jagger, who was residing at the hospital, admitted racially aggravated assault and common assault.
Prosecuting, Patrick Williamson told Minshull Street Crown Court that Jagger had a number of mental health issues, including diagnoses of emotionally unstable personality disorder, schizophrenia and chronic seizures following chronic substance misuse of cocaine and alcohol.
On October 10 last year, Jagger asked the ward manager if she could leave as she didn’t want to be on the ward. The manager told her it would have to be discussed with the doctor who was in the following Friday.
When she later returned to her office she was met by Jagger who was initially verbally abusive towards her.
“As she was about to enter her office, the defendant approached her and poured water over her, not boiling but hot enough to make a cup of tea with,” Mr Williamson said.
“This caused her some pain. The defendant proceeded to hit her with the cup and tried grabbing at parts of her body.”
Another care worker activated an alarm and tried to stop Jagger, who was pulling the manager’s hair.
“The defendant was heard to say: “I’ll kill you, you P*** c***”, repeatedly,” Mr Williamson added.
Three other staff members intervened as she kicked out at the manager, kneeing her in the face and causing her nose to bleed. She kicked again, but one of the others moved her body to protect the manager and was caught in the crossfire.
Jagger then made a ‘claw’ with her hand and struck the woman’s face, telling her: “I’ll take your eyes out.” As she was pulled away from the manager she unzipped part of her uniform leaving her underwear exposed.
The manager, who had worked in the care profession for 24 years, was left with scratch marks to her chest as well bruising to her face and head.
She said in a statement: “This is the first time I have been assaulted in my career. It’s made me not want to return to work as a nurse.”
Jagger was said to have 13 previous convictions for 27 offences, the majority of which were for assaults.
Richard Dawson, mitigating, said: “A tragic case, a victim who should not have been assaulted in the course of her service. But the defendant plainly has a number of serious vulnerabilities.”
He added that Jagger had served the equivalent of a custodial sentence for the offences, and that support was available to her in the form of 24/7 supported accommodation, upon her release from HMP Styal.
Sentencing, Judge Matthew Corbett-Jones said: “This was offending against people in their role as carers.
“Your behaviour has consequences. Whilst I understand you have periods of being unwell, you must please stop and think about your time in jail and part of the sentence of imprisonment you have spent and reflect on that in those moments.
“What you did caused real harm to those ladies who were just trying to help you and it’s not acceptable.”
Jagger was jailed for 13 months, but due to the time spent on remand, she will be released immediately and housed in supported accommodation. As she left the video-link booth, she said to the judge: “Thank you for your support.”
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