A nurse who deliberately poisoned a young boy with ‘industrial amounts’ of laxatives has today been jailed for seven years.
Former NHS worker Tracy Menhinick, 52, was found guilty of ‘wilfully’ ill-treating the child in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health on various occasions over the course of three years from 2014.
The auxiliary nurse administered a non-prescribed medication, namely the laxative lactulose, which caused his development and mobility to be affected and led to him being admitted to hospital.
Menhinick, of Aberdeen, then consented to treatments, procedures and operations on the child which she knew were unnecessary, ‘all to his permanent disfigurement, permanent impairment and to the danger of his life’, the indictment said.
The boy, who cannot be named, was said to have been left looking like ‘someone from Auschwitz’ following his ordeal.
Menhinick was convicted in February following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen.
Tracy Menhinick, 52, was found guilty of ‘wilfully’ ill-treating the child in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health on various occasions over the course of three years from 2014
The ill-treatment happened on various occasions when the boy was aged between three and six at an address in Aberdeen, at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (pictured) and elsewhere
Menhinick, who appeared at a court in a wheelchair and is now said to be bed-bound, was jailed for seven years when she appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday.
The ill-treatment happened on various occasions when the boy was aged between three and six at an address in Aberdeen, at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and elsewhere.
The child was aged between three and six at the time of the Munchausen by proxy poisoning – which is a specific mental illness most often linked to child abuse by a caregiver.
At one stage the boy was admitted to hospital weighing just under 10kg at the age of five.
It was revealed at today sentencing that a doctor’s report deemed that Menhinick did suffer from a factitious disorder imposed on another.
The disorder was previously named Munchausen’s syndrome and Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy.
Judge Lady Drummond told Menhinick after a 19-day trial: ‘You were an auxiliary nurse and had the knowledge to know what you were doing. You caused him to be in that state.
‘When he was admitted to hospital, you continued to give him a high level of laxatives.
‘Doctors were baffled despite their efforts to care for the child with various tests and treatments that he wasn’t gaining weight and thriving.
‘The amount of laxatives he was given resulted in floppy episodes and he had to be resuscitated.
‘Why anyone would want to inflect harm on a young child over multiple years is beyond understanding.
‘The victim impact statement says he has been left with physical scarring from this ordeal – your actions have had a negative impact on him psychologically. It has had a devastating impact on his life.
‘You abused the position of trust put on you by the child and the hospital.
Menhinick was jailed for seven years when she appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday
‘There is complete disregard for the consequences of your actions. You are 52 and deny responsibility for your actions.
‘A doctor’s opinion is that you suffer from a mental disorder.
‘You do not accept that you have this disorder and that your motivations are unclear for your actions.
‘The doctor said you do not require hospital treatment for the mental disorder.
‘The only appropriate disposal for such ill treatment of a child over a lengthy period of time with serious consequences is a significant period in custody to mark society’s abhorrence of your conduct.’
The boy had been admitted to Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital in October 2016 amid concerns for his weight loss. Menhinick was being observed by child protection officers but no evidence was then found of her poisoning the child.
Asked by Mr Kearney what conclusions he had drawn, Dr Sullivan said: ‘He had been administered significant quantities of lactulose. If an industrial dose is given… he would become extremely unwell.’
Menhinick was removed from caring for the boy after a test result from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London confirmed lactulose was present.
Dr Sullivan said the boy’s condition then ‘dramatically’ improved and he concluded Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy was the reason.
Tracy Menhinick leaves the High Court Glasgow on March 19 after her sentencing was deferred so a psychiatric report could be prepared. She returned for sentencing today
The court also heard a bottle of lactulose had been found following a search of Menhinick’s house.
Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Dr Keith Findley said the child looked like ‘someone from Auschwitz’ because he was so thin.
The trial was presented with 5,500 pages of evidence and medical records.
The sentencing was initially delayed so that a psychiatric report about Menhinick could be prepared.
Judge Lady Drummond had been told my Menhinick’s defence that she had a ‘package of mental health problems’.
Frances Connor, representing Menhinick, previously said: ‘It would be difficult to see how Ms Menhinick’s diagnoses could not have impacted on her behaviour given the nature of the offence.’
Jurors found Menhinick guilty of ill-treating the boy and administering non-prescribed medicines between April 1, 2014, and July 21, 2017.
