The defendant was a resident of Bupa Aged Care in Kempsey when in February of last year he struck a female staff member over the head with a wooden bowling pin while she was doing paper work. The blow resulted in the staff member suffering a skull fracture and she has not able to return to work.

The resident then proceeded to intimidate three staff members who barricaded themselves in the nurses station.

The staff member involved in the attack read a victim impact statement in Kempsey Local Court yesterday and said she has ongoing issues related to the incident.

"He hit me over the head causing injury and he did it without being provoked," she said.

"I have lingering emotional and physical injuries from the attack.

"I did want to continue working until I was 70," she said in her victim impact statement.

Since the attack, the defendant has escaped from a number of nursing homes and is currently being held in Long Bay Correctional Centre Hospital.

He will be eligible for release in two weeks where he will then reside in a more secure room at Fairfield Nursing Home.

Magistrate B Thomas said although the incident was serious in nature, the court had to take into account the defendants age and illnesses when deciding the sentencing.

"This is a serious incident involving serious injury to the staff member," he said.

"I agree with the seriousness of the reckless wounding charge but have to take into account the defendant is an elderly gentleman with a number of illnesses.

"He has previously absconded from the Fairfield Nursing Home, but he will be held in a room that is more secure and will be on supervised parole for nine months."

The Magistrate also made it part of the sentencing that the defendant is not permitted to return to any nursing home on the Mid North Coast.

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