Derry woman sentenced after defibrillator broken and teenager assaulted
Court hears hospital department was left without a vital life-saving machine for an entire day following a £10,000 rampage.
A woman who damaged a defibrillator in the A&E department of Altnagelvin Hospital rendering it unusable and assaulted a 17-year-old patient has been sentenced at Derry Magistrate’s Court.
Julia Geslak (23) of Heron Way in Derry admitted damaging the machine, disorderly behaviour in the hospital and assaulting the youth on January 2 2025.
The court heard that it appeared Geslak had a psychotic episode and was punching and kicking in the department.
The court was told that due to her actions there was no defibrillator available for that department for the rest of the day.
A prosecutor told the court that the value of the defibrillator was put at £10,000 but she could not put a figure on the damage caused.
Defence counsel Stephen Mooney told the court that unlike most hospital disorderly cases that come before the court Geslak was neither drunk nor under the influence of drugs.
He said that the offending had occurred in probably ’the worst location you can offend’ a hospital.
The barrister said Geslak had serious mental issues and this was ‘contrary to her normal behaviour’.
Geslak was placed on probation for 18 months and ordered to pay £1000 in compensation.