Sentencing deferred for former Aberdeen NHS worker who harmed child with laxatives

The sentencing of a former Aberdeen NHS worker, convicted of harming a child with laxatives, has been deferred so a psychiatric report can be prepared.

Tracy Menhinick, 52, was found guilty after a 19-day trial at the High Court in Aberdeen in February.

She was convicted of "wilfully" ill-treating the child in a manner likely cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health on various occasions when the child was aged between three and six.

Non-prescribed medication, a laxative known as lactulose, was administered to the child which affected his development and led to hospitalisation.

Menhinick, of Aberdeen, then consented to treatments, procedures and operations on him which she knew were unnecessary "all to his permanent disfigurement, permanent impairment and to the danger of his life".

She appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday, 19 March, where the court heard Menhinick has a "package of mental health problems".

Frances Connor, representing Menhinick, said none of the medical reports available to the court provide the information needed to inform the judge when sentencing.

Ms Connor said: "None of these reports get to where we need to be now. It would be difficult to see how Ms Menhinick's diagnoses could not have impacted on her behaviour given the nature of the offence."

The ill treatment happened on various occasions between 2014 and 2018, at Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital and elsewhere.

Lady Drummond ordered a psychiatric report.

She said: "There is no doubt from reading these reports that Ms Menhinick has a very complex psychiatric history. I need to understand that fully."

Lady Drummond added: "The question which is significant at the moment is how it may or may not have impacted on her culpability."

The judge ordered a report into the question of what impact Menhinick's mental disorder may have had on her offending and what impact it may have had on her culpability, and deferred sentence until April 9.

The child cannot be named for legal reasons.