Rainworth man attacked psychiatrist after being told off for damaging lion enclosure

Edward Smitheringale caused the damage during a day trip to to the South Yorkshire Wildlife Park, said Becky Allsop, prosecuting.

When his psychiatrist told him his escorted community leave would be taken away from him as a punishment, he turned violent, on September 25, last year.

He stood up and hit her around ten times on her right arm, causing pain and bruising which was treated with an ice pack.

When he was interviewed he admitted hitting the doctor and said he had panicked on the day out about some money. He felt the incident at the lion enclosure wasn't a major one and he became angry.

"He effectively saw red," said Ryan Higginbotham, mitigating. "He had seen other patients and residents acting out in similar ways and there had been no consequences. He was frustrated."

He said Smitheringale had "a limited set of previous convictions" and has been an in-patient at a hospital in Rainworth since May 2023 after receiving diagnoses of generalised anxiety disorder and Asperger's.

Smitheringale, aged 50, of Rufford Colliery Lane, Rainworth, admitted assault by beating of an emergency worker, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court.

District Judge Gillian Young decided it wasn’t appropriate to involve the probation service but increased the financial penalty to reflect the fact his victim is an emergency worker.

She fined him £240 and ordered him to pay a £96 surcharge, £85 costs and £100 compensation.