Police are investigating the death of a 72-year-old man at Sutherland public hospital, which occurred after a woman had allegedly sabotaged gas supplies at the facility.
New South Wales police on Tuesday charged Vanessa Moulton, 42, with cutting Kareena private hospital’s non-medical gas supply and water mains at 12.20am that day.
Police alleged she then “switched off the gas main” at Sutherland hospital, which is located on the same road as Kareena private in Caringbah, at 1.30am.
The loss of gas forced Sutherland hospital to switch to portable oxygen and air as part of its contingency plans, according to the NSW health minister, Ryan Park.
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Police on Wednesday said “an investigation is under way following the death of a man at a Sutherland hospital yesterday”.
Police were informed on Tuesday afternoon that a man had died at a hospital on Kareena Road.
“Officers were told a 72-year-old man had died in the hospital about 2.30am,” police said. “Doctors subsequently issued a death certificate. A report is being prepared for the information of the coroner.”
Moulton was charged on Tuesday afternoon with two counts of public nuisance, two counts of entering prescribed premises of any person without lawful excuse, sabotage, and destroying or damaging property and breach of bail.
She was also charged with tampering with a fire alarm or fire signalling apparatus and trespass on protected premises in relation to an alleged incident at a Darlinghurst hostel on Monday.
The 42-year-old was refused bail to appear before Sutherland local court on Wednesday. She has not been charged in relation to the man’s death.
The local court heard that Moulton had failed to report to police on Monday as required under her bail conditions for separate charges.
“I thought it was Sunday, not Monday,” she said in court on Wednesday after repeatedly declining the offer of legal representation.
When asked by the magistrate Pilar Lopez why her detention on the charge of sabotage – which carries a maximum jail term of 25 years – was unjustified, Moulton replied: “I didn’t do it.”
She was remanded in custody to return to court on 24 December.
The NSW health minister said on Tuesday that “the cause of the loss of gases is alleged to be deliberate sabotage” at Sutherland hospital.
He said gas systems had been restored “within approximately two hours”.
On Wednesday, Park said he had initially been advised there was no impact to patient care, but “I have since been made aware that a patient passed away during that period”.
“This morning, I phoned the family to extend my deepest condolences,” the health minister said.
“Whilst a death certificate was initially issued, this matter has now been referred to the coroner for further investigation. This [alleged] vandalism was a heinous act and, at the very least, it put lives at risk.”
The South Eastern Sydney local health district said it was investigating a patient’s death, which coincided with a “vandalism event” which resulted in Sutherland hospital’s mainline gas supply being interrupted.
The “health district extends its sincere condolences to the family,” a spokesperson said.
