A Wollongong doctor has had a criminal conviction recorded against his name after he drunkenly assaulted a female security guard at a Thirroul hotel, pushing her with so much force she fell over and broke both wrists.
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Dr Paul Labana offered his "deepest apologies" to the woman in Wollongong Local Court this week, saying he'd been racked with "guilt, remorse and shame" for the hurt he'd caused her on the evening of February 15.
"I'm unable to live with myself properly after all the hurt and grief that I have caused [the victim] and her family - I am truly sorry," he said in a letter tendered in court.
He confirmed he had since voluntarily stepped down from his role as an ER doctor at Wollongong Hospital so he could seek appropriate treatment.
Court documents reveal Labana had been drinking at Ryan's Hotel when he came under notice for smoking inside the venue and displaying drunken behaviour.
The victim approached Labana and told him to put his cigarette out but he repeatedly ignored her. She informed the pub's manager, who eventually kicked Labana out of the venue.
I'm unable to live with myself properly after all the hurt and grief that I have caused [the victim] and her family. I am truly sorry.
- Dr Paul Labana
However, just before 11pm, one of the bar staff noticed Labana was back inside the pub and informed the victim, who approached him and said it was time to leave as the venue was closing.
She then escorted him to the door, attempting to usher him out by placing her hand on his elbow.
Laban turned around and forcefully pushed the woman with both his hands, sending her sprawling backwards into the pub's bar stools.
She fell to the floor and later told police she immediately felt shooting pain in both her wrists.
Police arrived a short time later and spoke to the victim before she was taken to hospital, where she was found to have a fractured left wrist and a broken right wrist.
She also had a broken back tooth and bruising to her hips as a result of the assault.
Meanwhile, police briefly spoke to Labana at the scene but he was released without charge at the time.
They said they repeatedly tried to organise a time to interview him in the following weeks but he was too busy at work dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and no interview took place.
Labana was subsequently charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and re-entering a licensed premises as an excluded person.
Labana initially sought to have the charges dismissed under mental health legislation in court on Thursday, producing psychological reports that confirmed diagnoses of major depression and anxiety.
However, Magistrate Jillian Kiely refused the application, citing the prevalence of alcohol-fuelled violence in the community.
She found a conviction in the matter was warranted but imposed a two-year conditional release order, acknowledging Labana had no prior criminal history, had made positive contributions to the community through his work and that his actions that night had been an "aberration".
According to the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Labana was not employed at Wollongong Hospital at the time of the incident, and had not worked for the LHD since July 2019.
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