Medic sacked for sex liaison with troubled woman
Inquest is told Jade, 28, was later found dead by her carers
AN ambulance service medic was sacked over an ‘inappropriate’ sexual relationship with a troubled and vulnerable young Stockport woman who was later found dead by her carers, an inquest heard.
Jade Rayner’s social worker at the time said she believed the 28-year-old, who was battling alcohol addiction and mental health difficulties, was ‘sexually exploited’ by the emergency medical technician.
Jade died after taking a ‘high quantity’ of alcohol as well as an anti-depressant. l●Full
AN AMBULANCE service medic was sacked over an ‘inappropriate’ sexual relationship with a troubled and vulnerable young Stockport woman who was later found dead by her carers, an inquest heard.
Jade Rayner’s social worker at the time said she believed the 28-yearold, who was battling alcohol addiction and mental health difficulties, was ‘sexually exploited’ by the emergency medical technician (EMT).
Greater Manchester Police has been criticised by Jade’s family for failing to investigate the relationship and, at an inquest into her death, a coroner also said she would be writing to the force to highlight the case and issues of recording crime and support for victims.
Jade died last year after taking a ‘high quantity’ of alcohol as well as an antidepressant. Her death was not suspicious, police said.
The inquest heard the EMT, who wasn’t named in the hearing, was part of an ambulance crew that attended a 999 call to Jade’s flat on Bosden Fold Road, Hazel Grove, on September 27, 2019. At the time, her family said, Jade was binge drinking vodka and wine and suffering seizures. She was taking prescribed antidepressants and medication for epilepsy.
Stockport Coroners Court heard Jade refused to go to hospital, but the ambulance crew flagged a ‘safe-guarding concern’ and recognised she was vulnerable. Police, however, believed it was a ‘mental heath matter’, the inquest was told, and later classed Jade as having ‘capacity’.
The inquest heard the emergency medical technician – who was said to be aged ‘40-odd’ – wrote down the code to a key safe on Jade’s door on a pair of surgical gloves before the crew left.
He then subsequently visited Jade’s flat, the inquest was told – her family said he used a ‘ruse’ of collecting something he left behind. Jade confided in her mum more than a week later, who alerted her social worker. She told North West Ambulance Service on October 8, 2019, and police were informed.
Daniel Smith, head of paramedic emergency services at NWAS in Greater Manchester, said the man was suspended from ‘patient-facing roles’ and dismissed after a disciplinary hearing.
Mr Smith said the EMT ‘instigated’ contact with Jade and a relationship commenced that was sexual in nature.
Giving evidence at the inquest, Mr Smith said: “We condemn wholeheartedly his actions. We have dealt with this as robustly as we can.”
GMP sergeant Julian Scarsbrook said the report to the force was ‘not recorded as a crime’ and the officer who assessed the case found Jade had ‘full capacity and was only vulnerable because of her alcoholism’.
He said he didn’t know how that officer reached the conclusion he did. Police made social services aware, but the inquest was told nothing further was done.
Coroner Alison Mutch said: “The report was in effect written off by an officer from GMP without any detailed investigation being undertaken. The outcome of that appears to be that it had not been treated as a crime by those tasked with investigating alleged criminal behaviour. What’s not clear to me is why it was not dealt with as a crime report.”
Former Selfridges worker Jade was found dead in bed by her carers at her flat on March 30 last year.
The inquest heard the ‘turning point’ in Jade’s life, from 2011, was an ‘abusive and coercive relationship’ with a man who would call her fat and ugly and forced her to quit her university degree.
A toxicology report found a high quantity of alcohol in her system as well as an anti-depressant. A cause of death was given as the ‘toxic effect’ of the antidepressant, with ‘excess alcohol’ said to be a contributing factor.
The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.