Dr. Fergus McCabe, a general practitioner in North Perth, received a bravery commendation for disarming an axe-wielding attacker who targeted a colleague and patient on September 28. According to reports from ABC News and Nine.com.au, Dr. McCabe intervened during a violent assault to save Dr. Anna Chaney and a pregnant patient from a former patient who had entered the clinic with weapons.
The September 28 Clinic Attack
The incident began when Christopher Bernard Healey entered the North Perth GP clinic carrying an axe and other weapons concealed in a cardboard box, according to ABC News. Healey targeted Dr. Anna Chaney. ABC News reports that Healey had become “enraged and bitter” toward Dr. Chaney after she excluded him from the practice and obtained a restraining order following his transmission of inappropriate messages.
Healey entered the consulting room where Dr. Chaney was treating a pregnant patient. Dr. McCabe, who was seeing a patient at the time, reported hearing “shrill” screaming and immediately ran to assist. According to ABC News, the attacker had initially entered another doctor’s room while searching for Dr. Chaney. That physician, Ashleigh, managed to get her own patient out and swung the door open as she fled, which allowed Dr. McCabe to access the room where the assault was occurring.
Intervention and Disarming of the Perpetrator
Inside the room, Dr. Chaney and her patient were grappling with Healey to fight him off. The patient jumped between Dr. Chaney and the attacker to grab the axe, which ABC News reports slowed the attacker down and provided a distraction. Dr. McCabe entered the room, stating, “I just cleaned him out,” as he took the attacker by surprise, pulled the patient to safety, and threw Healey across the room.
While Dr. McCabe detained the attacker, Dr. Chaney, who had suffered a wound to the abdomen, crawled down the hallway to a treatment room for first aid. Dr. McCabe remained with Healey until police arrived. He noted that when officers entered, he was holding the axe and covered in blood, though a colleague had warned police that he was not the perpetrator, according to ABC News.
Community Response and Legal Outcomes
The intervention involved several people within the clinic. ABC News reports that a teenage receptionist called Triple Zero (000) and cleared the waiting room, while the father of a 12-year-old patient offered assistance. Dr. McCabe emphasized that the bravery of the entire staff and the patient played a critical role in the outcome.
Christopher Bernard Healey pleaded guilty to six charges, including the attempted murder of Dr. Chaney, possessing a controlled weapon, aggravated stalking, and endangering the life of the patient. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison, according to ABC News. Dr. Chaney recovered from her injuries after being treated at a hospital.