Cobourg hospital doctor out on bail after sexual assault charge
COBOURG — A doctor with hospital privileges at Northumberland Hills Hospital is one of the two people recently charged with sexual assault in Cramahe Township, hospital staff have confirmed.
Jennifer Gillard, the senior director of public affairs and strategic partnerships at NHH, told Northumberland News that Dr. William (Bill) Morton, an anesthesiologist, holds courtesy staff credentials at the hospital, as a locum (occasional) service provider.
“NHH is aware that a charge has been made against Dr. Morton and we will co-operate fully with any information required by police to support their investigation,” she said. “Dr. Morton is not currently delivering care to patients at NHH.”
Asked whether the charges stem from a workplace or NHH, Gillard said there is no reason to believe that the charges involve the hospital in any way.
Morton has not worked at NHH for a number of months, she said.
On Jan. 5, the Northumberland OPP said major crime unit members executed a search warrant at a home west of the village of Castleton as part of an ongoing assault investigation.
Two individuals from Cramahe Township were arrested and were held for a bail hearing, police said at the time, adding that the names of the accused were being withheld to protect the identity of the victim.
Then on Jan. 7, the OPP announced that Morton, 65, and Jamie Paddon, 55, both of Cramahe Township, had been charged with sexual assault, overcoming resistance by administering or attempting to administer a drug and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
Since the arrests, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) has updated its doctor information page for Morton to include the charges laid by police. It states that each charge stems from the dates of Dec. 24 and 27.
The college has also outlined the conditions of release (bail conditions) that were imposed on Morton on Jan. 5. They include:
1. Reside with surety every night at specified address except as provided for employment purposes and subject to situations where it would be unsafe to travel.
2. Remain in Ontario.
3. Deposit your passport with the Northumberland OPP at 1166 Division St., Cobourg, within 48 hours of your release from custody. Do not reapply for a passport or any other travel permits or documents. á 4. Do not contact or communicate in any way directly or indirectly, by any physical, electronic or other means, with specified persons.
5. Do not be within 500 metres of any place where you know any of the specified persons live, work, go to school, frequent or any place you know the person(s) to be except for required court appearances.
6. Do not possess any weapons as defined by the Criminal Code.
7. If you now possess any weapon(s) as defined in the Criminal Code you must deposit them, along with every authorization, licence and registration certificate relating to any of these items, to the police at the Northumberland OPP within 48 hours of your release from custody or you shall provide any such item to the Northumberland OPP who attends at specified address.
CPSO has not responded to a request for comment.
Hospital CEO retiring
Following more than seven years in the leadership role of Northumberland Hills Hospital, president and CEO Linda Davis has announced her intention to retire later this year.
The NHH board of directors said Davis will remain in the position until her successor is identified, with the goal of retiring by Aug. 1. “We were sorry to receive this news, but Linda Davis is concluding her career at NHH with achievements that stand us in very good stead for the future ahead,” said board chair Pam Went.
“A recruitment committee is being struck and the board will be initiating its search for the next president and CEO of NHH in the coming weeks.”