A PATIENT attacked a dozen hospital staff as they tried to stop her harming herself and undoing her bandages, York magistrates heard.

Marie Claire Johnson, 22, is detained at Stockton Hall Hospital under the Mental Health Act and is given anti-psychotic drugs daily.

At York Magistrates Court, she admitted seven charges of assaulting staff in June and July and asked for six more similar offences, committed in November, to be taken into consideration.

Gaynor Zeki, prosecuting, said “The staff clearly have a duty of care to look after her.”

But on several occasions Johnson got annoyed because staff were trying to stop her harming herself. She punched them in the face or kicked or hit them.

Johnson’s solicitor, Keith Whitehouse, said staff had to keep her under constant supervision for her own good, but she felt that they were invading her privacy and reacted.

Afterwards, Johnson was remorseful and apologetic, but her erratic behaviour meant she was likely to remain detained for years to come.

Following the summer assaults, she had managed to stay out of trouble for some months, but there was a series of assaults at a time when her medication was changed.

Magistrates gave Johnson a three-month conditional discharge. They declined to order her to pay compensation to the victims.

Mr Whitehouse said Johnson received benefits, but there were 12 or 13 victims so she wouldn’t be able to give them much.