A BROADMOOR patient was found to have punched a hospital worker in the face after he was placed in a solitary room.

Gary Lamb, 29, appeared before Reading Magistrates Court to answer to the charge that he had assaulted Jordan Roach, a former employee of the hospital.

Lamb denied the charge, which was the result of an incident on July 30 2017. But one of Mr Roach’s colleagues appeared via videolink to give evidence against Lamb.

The accused, who entered court flanked by six bailiffs, gave his own testimony from the dock, as magistrates said they feared for his well-being if he came to the stand to give evidence.

The unnamed witness explained: “Mr Lamb had been taken to a sterile room, where there is nothing, he is in there with just him and his trousers and top, as we feared he could be a danger to himself.

“Mr Lamb was asking Mr Roach why he had been placed in the room, and why he had to stay there, then he punched him with a closed fist through the hatch in the door.”

Defending Lamb, solicitor Graham Grayson argued that the hatch in the door was too small to get a fist through, and therefore there was no punch thrown.

The bench was helped by the witness holding up a bible and visually explaining that the hatch in the door was about the size of an A5 sheet of paper.

Lamb said: “The hatch is the size of a deck of playing cards.

“I was not placed in any room.

“I do not remember being moved.

“I did not punch him.”

Lamb was found guilty, but due to his situation he was only asked only to pay a significantly reduced fee of £185.

The bench concluded by paying their gratitude to Lamb for his composure during the trial.