Man fighting for life after alleged horror hammer attack by woman while in Sydney

A man was allegedly hit with a hammer while a patient at a Sydney hospital. 

Emergency services rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown just after midnight on Thursday after reports of an assault.

Police were told a woman had allegedly entered the hospital and assaulted a 63-year-old man languishing in a general ward, who is known to her. 

Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) Chief Executive Deb Willcox told reporters the woman approached staff without incident before the incident.

‘I’m advised that the staff did speak to the person who came into the ward, and there was no issue, oto the best of my knowledge,’ she said.

‘That was a conversation had between that person and the staff and they went to the bedside of the patient.’

During the incident, it is alleged the man was struck with a hammer to the head, causing serious injuries. He is fighting for his life in the intensive care unit. 

Ms Willcox said hospital staff have attempted to contact his loved ones after the ‘terrible event’.

A patient at Royal Prince Alfred hospital was allegedly attacked by a woman with a hammer in the early hours of Thursday (stock image)

‘He’s had a reasonably long length of stay with us, and, by all accounts, (he is) a really lovely person who staff are very fond of,’ she said.

Ms Wilcox said the shock incident was not something she had ever experienced, and was ‘distressing’ for hospital staff.

‘They did an outstanding job. You don’t come to work and expect this sort of thing, but their training is so effective,’ she said.

‘They’re just so capable and such good people that they knew exactly what to do.

‘We see people in all sorts of extreme situations. There’s no doubt that this has been a very serious event, and not something that I have been a part of previously.’

A 46-year-old woman, identified by The Daily Telegraph as Viki Graham, was arrested at the scene and taken to Newtown Police Station.

She was charged with wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and refused bail. She is due to appear in court on Thursday.

Police sources told the Telegraph their investigors are looking into whether the alleged assault is connected to a recent death in the man’s family, including a dispute over a will.

Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) Chief Executive Deb Willcox said hospital staff are ‘very fond’ of the patient (stock image)

Hospital staff have anonymously told The Sydney Morning Herald they had questions about how the woman entered the man’s ward.

‘This is extremely unsettling,’ a doctor said. 

‘I have never in my many years of practice here have ever heard of such a thing (happening) here.’

Visitors are not allowed to access general wards after 8pm, but Ms Wilcox said it was a ‘very big and busy hospital’. 

‘Our hospitals are open buildings. They’re open to the public. Our emergency department doors are open overnight, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,’ she said.

‘There are standard visiting hours, but this is a very big and busy hospital.’

In a statement to the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for SLHD confirmed the hospital is assisting police with their enquiries.

Staff who witnessed this distressing incident have also been offered employee support.