Nurse `sabotaged equipment'

An ambitious nurse sabotaged intensive care equipment in a malicious attempt to gain promotion, a court heard yesterday.

Amanda Jenkinson, a staff nurse on the Intensive Therapy Unit at Bassetlaw Hospital, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, tampered with ventilators and other equipment to make other staff look bad and "enhance her superiority", Nottingham Crown Court was told.

Jenkinson, 36, of Raines Avenue, Worksop, denies one charge of grievous bodily harm with intent and two charges of attempting to cause GBH with intent on three female ITU patients in 1993 and 1994.

Peter Joyce QC, for the prosecution, told the court that Jenkinson, who started work on the four-bed unit in 1990, was determined to gain promotion. Mr Joyce said that on nine occasions between February 1993 and January 1994, medical equipment attached to patients either had their settings changed or were switched off. PA