A nurse made paranoid by massive abuse of steroids

A nurse made paranoid by massive abuse of steroids hacked a popular colleague to death in a hospital kitchen, a court heard.

Body builder Mlungisi Tshabangu, 34, (corr) had injected around six times the usual dose when he killed Albert Field.

The drugs caused him to believe Mr Field, 34, was spreading rumours he was either gay or a paedophile.

He knifed the father-of-one with such severity that he was almost decapitated.

The distraught victim’s girlfriend had to leave court as the dreadful injuries were described to the Old Bailey.

Prosecutor Mr Aftab Jafferjee said: ‘Even by the standards of violence of these courts are sadly used to, these were terrible injuries.

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The court heard South African Tshabangu who is six feet tall and weighs 17 and a half stone, had been body building for at least ten years.

He worked in pharmaceutical companies in South Africa which gave him free access to the steroids.

Tshabangu came to Britain in 1997, taking advantage of the NHS scheme to recruit nurses from abroad.

But after just a month at the Royal Stanmore hospital staff in Middlesex reported Tshabangu was abusive to them.

‘A week later he refused to give a patient any medication on the basis that the patient had been rude to him,’ said Mr Jafferjee.

When he was seen by hospital bosses, Tshabangu said it would be better if he left immediately and walked out of the job.

He returned to South Africa but within three months he was back and working at Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham.

It was then Tshabangu was first noticeably paranoid about homosexuality after an eight-year-old girl who could not pronounce his name called him La Rue.

Tshabangu cornered one of the female nurses who laughed about the error and repeatedly hit her in the head.

He warned the woman, who had 25 years experience: ‘Don’t let me every hear you saying anything like that again.

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The nurse then moved to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel where bosses did not bother to take up references.

By September 1999, his high level of absenteeism and aggressive attitude towards colleagues was again bought into question.

‘He responded by saying staff were simply spreading rumours about him and alienating him,’ said Mr Jafferjee.

‘He attested he wished to leave the London Hospital as soon as possible because of his hatred for members of staff.

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In October he started work at the Bromley Hospital and was already taking a sheath knife to work, strapped to his body.

‘He decided he would settle these rumours by an ultimate act of violence,’ said Mr Jaffejee.

The owner of the gym where the nurse worked out saw that Tshabangu’s body was clearly artificially developed by steroids and became aware of his violent mood swings.

He confided in a friend: ‘If something happens to me the guy who will do it is Tshabangu.

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The gym owner was right.

Tshabangu has planned to murder him on the same day as Mr Field, but his ‘satisfaction’ in the killing made that unnecessary, the court heard.

Tshabangu even believed the wife of a TV Gladiator who was treated in the hospital was also spreading rumours.

The court heard Mr Field, from Mottingham, Kent, doted on both his five-month-old son and his girlfriend.

‘He was always joking with staff and patients alike.

He was known as a lovable rascal,’ said Mr Jafferjee

On the day he died, February 12 this year, he was planning to take his girlfriend shopping to buy her some new clothes.

Tshabangu had taken a particular dislike to Mr Field because when the proud father bought his son into work the body builder believed he was deliberately making reference to his sexuality.

‘The defendant, in his deluded state, interpreted that act as a concerted attack in his sexual preferences,’ said Mr Jafferjee.

He believed Mr Field was ‘a gossip who enjoyed exposing other people’s secrets.

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On the day of the killing, Tshabangu strode into the hospital, even though he was not on duty that day, put on a latex glove and found Mr Field in the kitchen.

‘He confronted the deceased and asked the deceased: ‘Have you every slept with a baby,’ said Mr Jafferjee.

‘The deceased replied: ‘What sort of question is that to ask.

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When Tshabangu went on: ‘Have you ever slept with a man,’ Mr Field turned away.

‘As his back was turned this defendant began this quite fearsome onslaught, stabbing him, as it turned out, in excess of 20 times,’ said Mr Jafferjee.

Nurses heard banging and screaming and saw Mr Field stagger on to the ward, bleeding profusely.

As he collapsed to the floor, Tshabangu shouted at him: ‘You shouldn’t call me a homosexual.

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‘The defendant than left the deceased fatally wounded on the floor and went to the nurses reception area and sat on a chair,’ said counsel.

‘He peeled off the latex glove and placed it with the knife on the floor.

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When he was asked by a member of staff why he had done it, Tshabangu calmly replied: ‘It has been a long time coming.

He deserved it.

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He then climbed out a window to escape but turned himself in later that night

The court heard he was taking Testosterone, Insulin growth hormones and other drugs.

Five days before the killing he had injected a 750 mg does of a steroid which has an average dose of 250mg every three to four weeks.

Tshabangu, who was living in nurse’s quarters in the Orpington Hospital, admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Mrs Justice Hallett adjourned sentencing Tshabangu until July 28 so she can hear evidence from a psychiatrist before deciding on the final disposal.

It is likely he will be sent to a secure hospital without limit of time under the Mental Health Act, 1983.

ends

addnurse.