Nurse says he’s sorry for sexual messages
But he denies touching colleague inappropriately
‘I love you... even till my last breath’
A MALE staff nurse has admitted sending inappropriate Facebook messages to two women working in a nursing home, but denies inappropriately touching one of them.
Allen Alex appeared before a fitness-to-practise hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).
He was accused of professional misconduct, following the alleged events at the TLC nursing home on Straffan Road in Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
It was said that on various dates between March 2018 and January 2019, he had sent inappropriate messages via Facebook to Karen Grogan, and that between October and November 2018 he had sent inappropriate or sexual messages to Ewelina Makson. Mr Alex told the hearing he accepted the allegations, and apologised.
However, he disputed a third charge – that he had inappropriately touched care assistant Ms Makson on the abdomen. The hearing was told that this had happened four or five times, on night shifts, after he followed her into residents’ rooms while she was checking on them.
Mr Alex, 35, lived in Ireland at the time, but now has an address in Kerala, India, and attended the hearing remotely.
Giving evidence, Ms Makson said she was uncomfortable with Mr Alex touching her in this way, and that she had reported it after she changed to day shifts and was able to speak to a supervisor. She said the Facebook messages she received had initially been friendly, and that she had been new in the home at the time. However, the hearing was told how the messages evolved, with one from Mr Alex saying: ‘I like when I touch you. Thank you for letting me.’ She replied: ‘No.’
Ms Makson said she had deleted a message in which Mr Alex proposed a one-night stand.
Mr Alex’s legal representative, Thampi Jose, said his client had asked to apologise to Ms Makson, regardless of the outcome of the hearing. Earlier, clinical nurse manager Ms Grogan told the hearing how Mr Alex had sent a series of inappropriate messages to her through Facebook also.
Mr Alex had pestered Ms Grogan to add him to her Facebook Messenger, saying: ‘U r breaking my heart to love you.’
In another message, he wrote: ‘I am sorry I can’t keep my word in loving u. Feel like proposing u so I can get someone to love me.
Don’t feel like marrying a girl is a strange [sic] when my dad tell me. love me Karen as I had never been loved by anyone. Please tell me if you feel annoyed by replying to me.’
Ms Grogan said that in January 2019, after he had left Ireland, she received more messages even though she had blocked him on Facebook. Mr Alex texted: ‘I am leaving nursing job. Thanks for everything. Good night and bye take care. Please pray for me.’
The next day he texted again, this time writing: ‘Karen I am going for divine retreat now for this week. I will pray for you.’
He added shortly afterwards: ‘I love you so much, even till my last breathe [sic].’
Ms Grogan described the texts as ‘disturbing’. In her closing submissions, Lorna Lynch BL, on behalf of the NMBI CEO, said the allegations of professional misconduct, and of a breach of the code of conduct expected amongst nurses, had been established beyond reasonable doubt. She said Mr Alex had described the alleged inappropriate touching of Ms Makson as accidental, but that the number of times it had allegedly occurred had to be taken into account, as well as the context, and the reference to touching in his messages.
Mr Jose said his client had undergone counselling and therapy for his ‘lapses’, and asked that he be given ‘a second chance’. The committee said it would deliberate on the case and issue a report in due course.