Hospital patient was out on bail when he allegedly doused three others in petrol and set one alight – as the minister admits the horror attack could have been worse
A 48-year-old patient, Raymond James Dungay, was allegedly on bail while staying at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney when he doused three fellow patients with petrol and set one alight. He has been charged with attempted murder and other offences; the court refused bail, and he remains under police guard in hospital. The alleged attack has prompted an urgent review of hospital security.
The patient who was set alight, 54-year-old Randovan Banic, is in intensive care in a stable condition with burns, in addition to an existing spinal injury. Two other patients, aged 63 and 64, suffered minor injuries. Police were called at about 10.45pm on Tuesday; the court heard Dungay had previously been released on bail to stay in hospital on separate charges, and his case is due back on 8 December. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the incident could have been more catastrophic, while hospital officials said there was no ongoing risk to patients and staff.
- A hospital patient allegedly set another patient alight after dousing three with petrol.
- The accused had been on bail to stay in hospital on separate charges.
- An urgent review of security at Prince of Wales Hospital is under way.
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Prince of Wales Hospital is a major public hospital in Sydney, in the Australian state of New South Wales. Patients may stay there for treatment under different levels of supervision, and courts can sometimes grant bail on condition that someone remains in hospital while facing separate charges.
The people involved are the patients named in reports and the police and courts handling the case. The incident has also drawn attention to how hospitals manage security and assess risks to patients and staff.