A MENTAL health patient throttled a support worker when he became frustrated as he waited for a bed, a court heard.

Oliver Elliot, 23, of Moor Street, Accrington, was on the Pendle View Ward at Royal Blackburn Hospital when he flew at the woman, telling her “you’re my next victim.”

In a tearful testimony at Preston Crown Court, the woman said: “I was sat on a swivel chair. His eyes were black. They were like saucers. They were wide and they were black with adrenaline, so black and big.

“As he dragged me under the CCTV with his hand around my throat, he said, ‘I’m going to f****** kill you.’

“I managed to press my panic alarm which is always on my left-hand side. I instantly felt relief that someone was going to come now.

“It seemed to take forever and his grip was getting tighter. With Oliver on top of me I managed to turn us around and I began booting the doors, kicking out, screaming ‘help me, someone help me.’”

A male colleague came and pulled Elliot from the woman and detained him in a headlock until other staff came to their assistance.

Elliot was assessed by a doctor, who said he had sufficient capacity to be questioned by police.

Jeremy Grout-Smith, prosecuting, said: “He told the police, ‘a voice wanted me to do it. I strangled her. Staff had to pull me off.’

Mr Grout-Smith added: ‘The voices were telling him to kill someone - not necessarily her but anyone.”

The court heard Elliot had been brought in for assessment under section 136 of the Mental Health Act.

Since the attack, procedures have changed on the ward so no-one works alone on the unit.

Mr Grout-Smith said: “This is in many ways a rather sad case.”

A jury must now determine the facts of the case as Elliot is not fit to stand trial.

He is charged with attempted murder and causing actual bodily harm to the woman, who suffered grazes to her neck and had four months off work suffering with post-traumatic stress.

She said: “You don’t expect to go to work and be assaulted.”

(Proceeding)