Last February, a patient at the Clinic where I worked showed up at lunch time, 2 hours late for an appointment and demanded to see the Doctor. When I told him, he had to make another appointment, he started arguing, then yelling, then picked up a plexiglass frame that was on the desk and threw it at me. I deflected it with my hand and got 2 stitches. The RCMP were called and he was charged with assault.
He showed up at court today with no lawyer and pleaded Not Guilty, so there was to be a trial. (He said he went to Legal Aid, but they denied him.)
2 hours later, we had the trial. He acted as his own lawyer. I testified, and he chose not to exercise his right to question me. (Thank goodness.)
Then he testified. He said I started yelling at him for being late, that I refused to give him his test results, that he "accidently" brushed the frame with his hand and it fell, and that I charged at him, yelling and shaking my fist in his face. (????????????)
Upon questioning, he got angrier and more belligerent, eventually admitted he intentionally hit the sign with his hand, but insisted it went in the opposite direction from me and said he felt sure I was lying about the injury.
After final arguements, the judge said if he was flippant, disrespectful and angry in a courtroom sitting beside a judge and facing a prosecutor, he was likely WORSE in a clinic with only me in the room. She said he probably had great disrespect for all women and didn't like that I didn't give him what he wanted and tried to bully me about how I did my job.
Near the end, he said he is the sole support of his mother and 3 sisters living in another province. He has until tomorrow at 4:30 to prove this. When the judge asked how he supported himself and another family, he said he delivered pizzas. And got paid under the table......making about $6000/ month...... Why you would admit to tax evasion in open court is beyond me.....
The judge said she was going to recommend a 6 month sentence (Maybe he'll serve a month.....???) unless he can prove he is supporting his mother and sisters, then he will get community service.
It was nerve-wracking, I've never been in court like that before, and I'm glad it's over.
