Woman charged with assault on child
A 58-year-old Christchurch woman has been held in custody while bail is being considered after denying a charge of assaulting a 10-year-old girl.
Margaret Mabel Dodds, 58, a resident at the Seager Clinic at Princess Margaret Hospital, appeared before Judge John Macdonald at the Christchurch District Court on charges disorderly behaviour, and assault on a child.
She was remanded on bail on two charges of being unlawfully in enclosed yards, and was in custody after an alleged breach of bail while awaiting a defended hearing in August.
The alleged assault related to an incident in March, when police say she pushed the victim up against a tree.
A remand to a case review hearing on July 29 is being sought after her not guilty pleas on the latest two charges.
Dodds faces a wide array of trespass notices from community centres, parks, and buses around Christchurch.
Judge Macdonald delayed the case until later in the day so that he could consider more information about Dodds before he decided on a bail application.
Update from the afternoon session:
Later in the day, the judge put the case off for further discussions and a decision about bail on Wednesday morning, since the police were continuing to oppose Dodds’ release. Although she lives at the clinic, she is not compelled to stay there all the time.
The judge told police prosecutor Chris Hunt that he hoped there could be further discussions about bail conditions that could be imposed, including not leaving Princess Margaret Hospital without supervision.
Judge Macdonald wondered whether Dodds might be able to have someone with her when she was “out and about” away from the clinic, but the forensic psychiatric nurse at the courts said the hospital should be consulted about whether they had staff available to provide that kind of supervision.
Category: Focus
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