Nurse guilty of attack

Published 3 Mar 2010 14:30

By Jennifer Black

A JOHNSTONE nurse faces being sacked and struck off after being found guilty of a vicious attack.

Patricia Martin, 38, assaulted Lisa Robertson, 26, in Millport, on the Isle of Cumbrae after suspecting her of having a sexual relationship with her son's friend.

She pounced on Lisa and launched a brutal attack in front of her victim's five-year-old son in April last year.

Martin, of Walnut Crescent, Johnstone, now faces dismissal from Inverclyde Royal Infirmary in Greenock and could also have her name removed from the nursing register.

The attack centred on Martin's 18-year-old son, who has the same father as Lisa's child, now six.

After arriving on the island Martin had phoned her son, who was upset but wouldn't say why.

She started drinking at the Royal George Hotel in Millport, when one of her son's friends came to the bar and told her why he was upset.

Martin then went round to Lisa's home and hammered on the front door at 1am to confront her but had no reply.

She then spent the night at a friend's flat and spotted Lisa the next morning as she was leaving her nearby home with her son.

Lisa saw Martin approaching and told her child to get into the car.

Martin shouted and swore at Lisa as she tried to escape, then Martin shoved her, slamming the car door on her leg.

She was detained by police shortly after when it was also discovered she had outstanding arrest warrants for unpaid fines.

Andrew Calderwood, prosecuting, accused Martin of hunting down and stabbing Lisa, asking: "Have you shut yourself off from reality?"

Weeping Martin replied: "I'm the only sane person in the courtroom.

"It's them - they're a clique."

A jury found Martin guilty of breach of the peace and assault in Cardiff Street, Millport, in April 2009.

They cleared her of stabbing and smashing her car windscreen.

Sheriff Iona McDonald told Martin she was calling for background reports, adding: "Once I have that information I'll decide how to deal with you."

Sentence was deferred and Martin was freed on bail.

After the case, Lisa said: "All that rubbish about me sleeping with a 17-year-old - it's just not true."

A spokesperson for the Nursing and Midwifery Council said: "In case of criminal proceedings, the person in question would have been referred to NMC by the relevant police authority.

"Once the proceedings have been completed we can then look at the issue relating to that person's fitness to proceed."

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This article appeared in The Gazette 03 Mar 10

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