A man convicted for a vicious attack on a doctor in the psych ward of the Penticton Regional Hospital has skipped out on a jail sentence.
Gregory Nield, 31, was charged with aggravated assault after attacking a psychiatric doctor in an interview room, causing serious injuries to the doctor, and reportedly resulting in brain damage. Though a sentencing hearing was held on Jul. 14, Justice Hope Hyslop had noted at the time that it would be difficult to come down with a proper sentence in time for the day’s end.
Related: Sentencing for doctor attacker kicks off
Nield was handed a 30-month probation order, along with a 10-year firearms ban, and was ordered to pay a $200 victim surcharge, meaning Hyslop, though siding against the defence in the conviction, came down heavily on the side of the defence in sentencing.
Crown lawyer Sarah Firestone had called for a two- to four-year sentence, while defence lawyer Stan Tessmer had asked for only a probation period.
In December 2014, Nield was under the care of Dr. Rajeev Sheoran at the PRH psych ward, due to mental health issues he experienced after self-medicating with magic mushrooms for his migraines.
Nield never disputed that he attacked the doctor in the interview room on Dec. 5, 2014, but rather he and Tessmer argued that Nield’s mental state had deteriorated under Sheoran’s care, believing that the doctor had improperly medicated him.
Related: Jury finds Nield guilty of attacking doctor
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