Patient made gang threats, abused and assaulted Christchurch Hospital staff

Wednesday, 5 July 2023

While trying to care for him, Christchurch Hospital staff faced a tirade of abuse, threats, gang intimidation and assaults from a single patient.

In hospital with a serious leg injury sustained in a crash that he caused while fleeing police, Tyrone George Michael Whittaker told a nurse that the Crips and Mongrel Mob were “watching” her.

The 26-year-old was sentenced to 18 months intensive supervision at the Christchurch District Court on Wednesday. He earlier pleaded guilty to twelve charges including dangerous driving causing injury and a raft of threatening and intimidation charges related to the hospital abuse.

In sentencing him, Judge Stephen O’Driscoll told Whittaker that the hospital staff were “intimidated and fearful of you…they were doing their best in difficult circumstances to help you…you made their lives and work even more difficult”.

The staff were to be commended for how they behaved professionally in trying to assist Whittaker while he was subjecting them to abuse, the judge said.

In August 2021, Whittaker, who was disqualified from driving, drove into the Z petrol station on Lincoln Rd when two police cars parked either side of his car with their red and blue lights on. Whittaker took off, reversing into the patrol car behind him and driving around the other, the summary of facts said.

He fled at speed and blew a red light in the process. Travelling between 90 and 118km/h (well in excess of the 50km/h speed limit) south on Lincoln Rd, Whittaker attempted to overtake a row of six vehicles on the opposite side of the road when he collided with another vehicle outside the NPD petrol station.

The impact caused him to lose control, spin out, and his car also struck a parked vehicle. His car rolled approximately 89 metres and debris was scattered across the road and into neighbouring properties. His car landed on its roof, and he was trapped underneath.

The driver of the first car he hit suffered minor injuries including bruising and a sprained neck. Four vehicles suffered varying levels of damage as a result of Whittaker fleeing. In explanation, he said he freaked out when he saw guns pointed at him at the petrol station.

In September that year, Whittaker was recovering from a serious leg injury at Christchurch Hospital. While on a video call on his laptop, Whittaker turned the screen around to face a nurse checking on him and told her “The Crips and the Mongrel Mob say ‘Hi’. They’re watching you.”

On October 11, shortly after 8pm, members of his family attempted to visit him but were advised that visiting hours ended after 8pm. The family entered anyway, the facts said.

At about 8.15pm, Whittaker wheeled himself into the reception area and began abusing a female staff member. She felt intimidated, and believed if she walked away that he would assault her. Whittaker then stood up and confronted an orderly who tried to intervene. They stood face to face.

A nurse called the police. Whittaker attempted to punch the wall but missed and instead punched a box on the reception table that flew across the room. Police arrived moments later. Whittaker leapt at the responding officer from his wheelchair. The officer used capsicum spray to subdue and handcuff him.

Whittaker regularly flouted the rules and abused staff. “You’ll be the next victim,” Whittaker told a crying staff member he’d already abused, before swinging his elbow crutch and striking the wall about 60cm away from her. The abuse was part of a series of incidents that occurred while he was a patient.

Time Whittaker had already spent in custody and on electronically monitored bail after the crash, his personal circumstances and medical issues, guilty pleas, and the fact the Crown were not seeking a period of imprisonment, were all taken into account by the sentencing judge.