A nurse has faced court charged with assaulting an elderly dementia patient after allegedly trying to suffocate him with a pillow at a Sydney hospital.
Timothy Owen was dressed in a brown jacket, a checked shirt and dark jeans when he was let out of a police van and led into a glass box at Bankstown Court by officers.
The 50-year-old looked at Magistrate Sally McLaughlin as she read out two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and suffocate strangle with intent to murder.
He replied, "yes", when asked if he understood the offences and that an application for bail would take place in eight weeks time.
Sitting in the public gallery was his partner, who left court in tears and replied, "no comment", when asked if she knew what happened in the hospital by reporters.
Court documents alleged Mr Owen pushed a pillow into the face of an 80-year-old man in Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital between 5am and 5:30am yesterday.
Police said as he pinned the man down with force, a colleague intervened and pulled Mr Owen from the patient, who was left with a cut to his arm.
The elderly man, who has no family, was also treated for shock and doctors are closely monitoring his health.
The alleged incident happened in a four-bed ward while other patients were asleep.
Almost 12 hours later, Mr Owen returned to work for another night shift and was met by detectives who had already collected forensic evidence and spoken with witnesses.
He was placed in handcuffs and driven in a police car to Bankstown Police Station, where he was formally charged and refused bail.
Mr Owen is expected to front Burwood Court on August 26.
