An incurable, paranoid schizophrenic will be held at St. Brendan's Hospital indefinitely for a brutal attempted rape nine years ago in which he left his 36-year-old victim for dead on a beach.

At yesterday's sentencing, Puisne Judge Norma Wade-Miller heard how escaped mental patient Gordon Charles Omega Edmead, 39, had attacked the woman at Devonshire Bay on September 15, 1994.

He later confessed to walking out of St. Brendan's that day and attacking the woman, who was married to a guest worker, by holding her head under the water for about ten minutes.

He had approached the woman and made lurid sexual remarks.

As she tried to leave he grabbed her nose and mouth from behind and threatened to use a knife.

She escaped briefly but again he held her by the nose and mouth until she bit his hand, provoking him to grab her by the neck and attempt to drown her along the waterfront. He then tried to rape the victim, but could not.

After the attack, Edmead turned himself into to two workmen and confessed the rape. The men draped the victim in a towel and called Police. Edmead said later she was without body function when he pulled her from the water.

The court heard the victim suffered many facial wounds and bruising but has recovered and now lives in Massachusetts while Edmead suffered from a treatment-resistant form of paranoid schizophrenia and had previous violence convictions.

Until recently, he had been deemed mentally unfit to plead in court, but last November pleaded guilty to sexual assault.

The court heard that Edmead was a risk to the community and would need to take medication indefinitely as he exhibited violence towards himself and others.

St. Brendan's Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. David Price said: "He needs to have a feeling of control and this is very characteristic of schizophrenics." He added Edmead's mental state remains fragile and every day stress could push him over the edge.

Crown Counsel Oonagh Vaucrossen recommended that Edmead be held under Section 38 subsection 3 of the Mental Health Act. Defence Lawyer Mark Pettingill backed the section 38 call, which was agreed to by Mrs. Justice Wade Miller.

Edmead had been held under the less severe Section 33 of the Mental Health Act in an unsecured cottage on St. Brendan's property at the time of the attack.

It is understood that he had been receiving treatment at St. Brendan's Hospital since 1982.

Under Section 33, a person can be `detained' in a hospital after two experts give written or oral evidence that the convicted person is suffering from a mental illness, severe personality disorder or mental or severe mental impairment.

Such a ruling allows for an indefinite stay in the hospital, instead of imposing a prison term.

Section 38 allows a Supreme Court judge to take into account the nature of the offence and the risk of similar acts to order that the offender held "without limit of time or during such period as may be specified" in the judge's order, which binds the hospital to hold the offender.

Only the Minister of Health can allow a "grant of leave of absence" or "the discharge" to the patient. The Minister has the power of recall to the hospital. The patient has the right of appeal.

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