A once well-respected surgeon in Labrador City has been in jail three times, and has lost his job and his licence to practice medicine, a St. John's court was told Tuesday.

James Muyanga, 55, was supposed to go to trial Tuesday for assault and failure to comply with a probation order. Instead, he pleaded guilty to pushing a woman at Her Majesty's Penitentiary last year.

Muyanga has convictions for impaired driving and driving while disqualified, but his criminal record is non-violent.

He had been in custody just a few days — his second stint in jail — when he and other inmates were moving pails of blankets on Jan. 2, 2017.

The correctional officer escorting the inmates told them to "keep their hands to themselves" — something the storeroom supervisor repeated.

That's when Muyanga became agitated and "very upset," according to an agreed statement of facts.

He pushed the supervisor, a middle-aged woman, with two hands and threw his fists in her direction but she blocked his arm, the court was told.

She reported the assault to police the next day.

Employees deserve safety, judge says

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she suffered a major breakdown days after the incident, and that she has post-traumatic stress disorder.

She hasn't returned to work since.

"People have the right to go to work safe, and that includes Her Majesty's Penitentiary," Judge Jacqueline Brazil said.

Brazil said the employee did nothing to provoke the attack and was simply an "innocent person in the wrong place at the wrong time."

A storeroom supervisor was pushed by an inmate at Her Majesty's Penitentiary on Jan. 2, 2017. (Sherry Vivian/CBC)

Defence lawyer Stephen Orr said the assault was "out of character" for his client, and that he was withdrawing from alcohol at the time.

'Downward spiral'

Muyanga was a general surgeon who lost his licence and "has been in a downward spiral ever since," Orr said.

According to Rate MDs, Muyanga worked in Labrador City.

An online biography said Muyanga was employed by Labrador-Grenfell Health and was a "surgeon who is on call around the clock."

His first conviction was in September 2016.

While in HMP, Orr said Muyanga was viciously assaulted by another inmate and was bullied during his first time in jail. The inmate was charged with assaulting Muyanga.

"He needs to get his life back together," Orr told the court.

He hasn't been a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association since last February.

A week after the incident, Muyanga wrote a letter to the woman he assaulted to "profoundly apologize."

He asked to "find it in your heart to forgive me."

Brazil accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence.

Muyanga will be on probation for 12 months. He's also been ordered to undergo counselling for alcohol and anger management.