Police charge man after COVID testing nurse assaulted in North Ryde

A man has been charged after a nurse, conducting COVID testing, was allegedly assaulted at North Ryde last week.

About 9.45am on Friday 15 January 2021, a nurse approached a vehicle that had pulled into a COVID-19 testing facility at Macquarie Hospital.

The passenger of the car was requested to extinguish a cigarette. The man refused and became verbally abusive towards staff before getting out and throwing a take-away coffee cup at the nurse.

She sought assistance from her colleagues and the car drove off. She suffered a minor laceration under her eye and red marks to her cheek.

The nurse attended Gosford Police Station yesterday (Monday 19 January 2021), and made a report of the incident.

Following inquiries, officers from Ryde Police Area Command attended a home at Steward Street, Dundas Valley about 5.15pm, and arrested a 43-year-old man.

He was taken to Ryde Police Station and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The man was refused bail and will appear at Burwood Local Court today (Wednesday 20 January 2021).

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