Youth who slapped nurse remanded

That was the decision of the court when Josiah Jeremy Lovell, 22, appeared before Magistrate Deidre McKenna in the Oistins Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, and pleaded guilty to the September 22 offence of assaulting Hyacinth Green and causing her actual bodily harm while at the Randal Phillips Polyclinic, in Oistins, Christ Church.

Sergeant Richard Ellis told the court that, Green, 64, is a sister at the polyclinic, where she is responsible for child health, among other things. On Monday, she was inside the office where immunisation was taking place. Nurse Linton was also present. Around 12:40 p.m., Lovell and his girlfriend Tareka Jones entered the office with their baby, who was scheduled to receive his shot.

Green told Linton to administer the injection to the child and Linton used the mother’s hands to show her how to position the child.

The mother told Linton that she did not have to touch her. The nurse apologised, but the sister then spoke to the mother about her behaviour.

Lovell, of Lancaster, St James, stepped in and chastised the complainant for getting involved, particularly after Nurse Linton had already apologised.

The senior nurse said she told the accused she was only asking the mother why she was angry, but in response Lovell began cursing her. Green then asked him to step outside the office but he refused, saying he was waiting on his child’s book.

Green wanted to call security but could not recall the number, so she gave Lovell his son’s book and tried to go through the door, but he was standing close to it.

Green asked him to let her pass but he refused to move, and he continued cursing and misbehaving and began putting his hands into her face.

The child’s mother called Lovell, who then moved away. Green left the room, but the parents followed quickly after and walked ahead. As Green walked past the girlfriend, who had stopped, the younger woman asked: “You gine push me down?”

It was then that Lovell immediately slapped the nurse on the left side of her face, causing her pain and dizziness. She held on to a haversack he was wearing and shouted to the receptionist to call the police. However, Lovell pulled away and left the building, but later turned himself in at the police station.

On Tuesday, prosecutor Ellis strenuously objected to Lovell being released on bail, saying the incident caused public outrage and resulted in the closure of the institution, which affected an entire community depending on that social service.

Magistrate McKenna remanded Lovell until October 21 and ordered a pre-sentencing report on him. (SD)