Co Armagh nurse, who returned to work at Craigavon Hospital during Covid pandemic despite previous theft convictions, stole drugs from medical ward

Catherine Beattie, aged 47, from Broomhill, Portadown, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with stealing drugs from Craigavon Hospital in February this year.

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Police were called to Ward 4 North on Febuary 9 last year where a ward sister said there appeared to be three incidences of theft of drugs over that week.

On Tuesday, February 6, staff noticed 10 boxes of 30mg codeine tablets were missing during a stock check and believed they disappeared the day before. On Thursday, February 8, a further two boxes of tablets were spotted missing, also believed to have taken the day before. On February 9 three boxes were discovered missing and this last theft was believed to have taken place that day.

Following inquires by the staff nurse, the only member of staff who was consistently on duty across all three days was the defendant.

Police searched the defendant’s belongings but no drugs were found. One nurse told police she spotted the drugs in the defendant’s jacket before police arrival. “She then checked the pockets of a nearby jacket and located the tablets,” said the prosecutor.

The defendant admitted putting the tablets in a fleece in her locker and then moved them to another fleece. During a search of Beattie’s home, two more strips of codeine were discovered.

Defence barrister Mr David McKeown said his client lost her job earlier this year as a result of this. He added she had ‘very significant hip problems’ and is due for surgery in Dublin. She felt the medication would help ease that pain.

Mr McKeown added that Beattie, a ‘trained, qualified nurse’, had previous benefited from a Probation Order.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan voiced concern in relation to this, adding there were theft offences dating back to 2019 on her record.

“And she was allowed to nurse subsequent to that?” he asked. Mr McKeown explained she went back to nursing during the Covid pandemic.

The district judge asked if she was suspended for a period and then allowed to return. Mr McKeown explained that Beattie wasn’t actually suspended from nursing as she “had taken a career break and had not gone back”.

Mr McKeown added that when she returned to nursing, they may have looked at the conviction and “allowed her to return anyway”.

"And that’s where the desperation from Covid comes?” said the district judge. Mr McKeown said: “That’s when she was reappointed effectively.”

The district judge said he expected Beattie to be struck off at the end of these proceedings.

"I am very concerned by your record and the nature of the job you were performing when you did what you did,” said District Judge Ranaghan.

“You have significant entries on your record for theft. And this matter is aggravated by the occupation you were carrying out at that time,” he said, deferring sentence for four months. He said it would allow the defendant to have the hip operation.

He ordered an addendum report from the Probation Service and requested a letter from her GP outlining the medication she is prescribed.

The case was adjourned until January 8, 2025.