A nurse is facing a possible jail sentence over a year-long relationship she had with a patient in a secure mental health unit.
Jill McLaren secretly visited the unnamed patient - who was transferred to the clinic over a series of knife attacks - and even took him to her home under the pretence of an escorted Christmas shopping trip. The pair also exchanged love letters at Glasgow's Stobhill Hospital, and were only caught once she left for another job.
Appearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court last week, the 37-year-old pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with the patient. She has since been suspended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, an independent regulator.
The court heard how McLaren and the patient started discussing their shared love for fitness. She apparently told him she started a shift on his ward in order to "see him" and they started flirting with each other.
According to the Sunday Mail, Fiscal Lauren Donnelly, prosecuting, said: "She went to get chocolates (in the unit) and he followed her. They began kissing in the cupboard." The pair agreed that if McLaren should use a different name if she wanted to speak to him outside of the unit.
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On one occasion, he was woken up by the nurse during a nightshift as she shone a flashlight into his face. They went on to kiss before she carried out a sex act in his bedroom. The court heard McLaren also bought a birthday card for the patient. They later went on an outing for him to apparently buy Christmas gifts.
But they instead ended up at her house, where further sexual contact occurred. The patient's mum became suspicious of a relationship between the pair and was concerned, but did not report it as there was a possibility he’d be moved to a less secure unit.
McLaren left her permanent post in August 2019 to start another role. But she still took shifts at the clinic and, during one, an argument took place after McLaren suddenly ended the relationship. She later sent another card to him, which read: “I miss you like crazy. I’m sorry I can’t be the one to make you happy.
"I’m sorry about anything hurtful that I have said, please don’t think I didn’t love you, I’m pining after you and it hurts so much." A staff nurse at the unit later got a phone call asking for him and recognised McLaren’s voice. Donnelly said: “She became suspicious of this and hit re-dial and recognised the number.
"She checked this against the number of the staff and it matched the one held by McLaren." The patient's mental health deteriorated after he was made aware that staff knew about the relationship, the court was told. He later admitted the relationship to his lawyer and staff at the unit.
McLaren was arrested but made no comment at the time. Euan Dow, defending, told the court the nurse had recently left a volatile relationship before starting at the unit. He said: “She felt low and vulnerable with her partner leaving.
"When she started work at the unit, she felt flattered by some of the attention given to her by the man. It is to her shame and regret she became involved in a wholly inappropriate relationship. She knew it wasn’t right and on a number of occasions she identified to the man that it was wrong and should not continue. He said if she did end the relationship, he would disclose it to her employers and members of the family."
Sentencing was postponed pending background reports until next month by Sheriff Gerard Considine, who granted McLaren bail and placed her on the sex offenders’ register. He said: “Clearly this was a gross breach of trust. The law protects people such as the man in this case. Be in no doubt, custody is in the uppermost of my mind.”
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