A REGISTERED nurse accused of robbing a cancer patient allegedly told police that a “random person” handed her the woman’s bank cards and asked her to withdraw the money.

Mother or two Percy McCarthy, 45, was granted bail at Blacktown Local Court after being charged with aggravated robbery of a woman, 77, at the Hospital for Specialist Surgery at Baulkham Hills in north-west Sydney.

media_camera Police allege the 45-year-old woman took two credit cards and then physically restrained the patient. Picture:: NSW Police

Police allege that on March 16 McCarthy entered the cancer patient’s room where she was recovering from treatment and went through her bags stealing two credit cards.

She is then accused of holding the patient down and forcing her to reveal the cards’ PIN numbers causing deep bruising to the victim’s body.

McCarthy is then alleged to have gone to a nearby shopping centre and withdrawn $1000 cash from the victim’s account.

McCarthy, who is described in court documents as a “team leader” at the specialist surgery facility, was arrested at her Bungarribee home on Tuesday morning and charged with aggravated robbery, knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime, and dishonestly obtain financial advantage.

In court Legal Aid lawyer Margaret Malak asked that McCarthy be granted bail saying the case was “circumstantial.”

media_camera The Hospital for Specialist Surgery where the alleged incident occurred.

“CCTV footage captures my client withdrawing money... (but) there is no independent witnesses and this incident isn’t captured on CCTV,” Ms Malak said.

Ms Malak said McCarthy needed to be released on bail because of her family commitments which included taking her children to piano, tennis, swimming and maths lessons on week nights.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Nathan Blatch opposed bail saying the alleged robbery was a “brazen attack,” against a woman McCarthy was meant to be protecting.

“Four minutes after finishing work... she says some random person gave (the cards and PIN numbers) to her and asked her to do it,” he said.

“In terms of the risk to the community, a person who is prepared to rob somebody in a hospital bed.... where would she stop?

media_camera A 45-year-old Bella Vista hospital employee was charged after she allegedly robbed a cancer patient. Picture: NSW Police

“What submissions would protect the community? I would say none,” he said.

Magistrate Roger Brown granted McCarthy bail saying the case would take a long time to be resolved.

“The offences are difficult to categorise.... there was a degree of violence,” he said.

One of McCarthy’s bail conditions is that she is banned from working at any hospital.

HSS general manager Rosemary McDonald said McCarthy had been temporarily suspended from duty until the outcome of the criminal case.

“We are really upset, we take this matter very seriously. All we are concerned about is looking after our patients and keeping them safe,” Ms McDonald said.