Drunk Highland nurse who dropped baby escapes jail
A nurse who lifted a baby over her shoulder and let him fall to the pavement on his head when she was drunk has escaped jail.
Rachel McIntyre, (38), was seen lifting the four-months old baby out his pram and dangling him over her shoulder by a couple a couple in their garden in Lawers Way in Inverness last June.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson was told by Depute Fiscal Roderick Urquhart McIntyre had been to a shop and bought a half bottle of vodka and other items.
"About 7pm a couple in a garden heard the sound of a distressed baby. Looking over the husband saw the accused holding a child by his ankles over her left shoulder."
The fiscal said the man turned to his wife and told her: ‘She’s going to drop the wean’.
"The two of them saw her drop the baby and both went to assist."
Mr Urquhart said it appeared it was McIntyre who contacted an ambulance and when spoken to later by police one of the witnesses, when asked about her condition, described her as being ‘out of it’.
The fiscal said the baby was taken to the Accident and Emergency unit at Raigmore Hospital where it was found he had an 11 cm fracture to the left side of the skull.
"There was no significant bleeding or swelling to the brain and he was admitted to a ward for observation and further examination."
Mr Urquhart said there was no internal injury other than the fracture and the child made a full recovery and was discharged from hospital on June 20.
The fiscal said McIntyre gave an explanation to police that the child fell from the pram and she tried to catch him.
But that, he said, did not ‘fit with the facts’ as described by witnesses.
McIntyre admitted on June 16, 2014 at Lawers Way being in charge of a child she willfully ill-treated and exposed the child likely to cause unnecessary suffering and caused him injury whilst under the influence of alcohol by removing him from the pram, holding him by the ankles over her shoulder and he fell to the pavement causing him severe injury.
Sentence had been deferred for criminal justice social work reports and solicitor Duncan Henderson said McIntyre, c/o Edgemoor Park, Balloch was a nurse by profession and it was likely should no longer be able to practice.
In her adult life he said she had struggled with alcohol.
"She is ashamed and accepts her behaviour was horrendous."
Mr Henderson added that McIntyre, who is on a community payback order for a road traffic matter, had now been sober for six months.
Sheriff Neilson ordered McIntyre to carry out 150 hours of community service as a direct alternative to custody.
The sheriff said she said she would not make a supervision order because she already was on one.
