Investigation launched after patient assaulted by A&E paramedic
The man has been accused of assaulting the woman after he had injected her with a drug called midazolam, as well as the powerful painkiller Penthrox. Midazolam is used to induce sleepiness or drowsiness and to relieve anxiety before surgery or other procedures.
The alleged perpetrator, a man in his 50s, has been accused of harassing women in five previous cases. One woman working for the HSE told Extra.ie that he bombarded her with texts. She also said he should have been removed years ago. An A&E paramedic is being investigated by gardaí for allegedly sedating a woman with drugs and sexually assaulting her when she attended an emergency department. Pic: Getty Images
The man has come to the attention of the National Ambulance Service's (NAS) internal investigators on several occasions over the past decade due to his alleged harassment of women. At least one resulted in the NAS issuing a formal apology for his behaviour to a woman.
However, he remained in his job. Extra.ie ascertained that the man has been involved in at least five incidents of misconduct involving female staff. In this latest case, the man is also accused of sexually assaulting this woman after the drugs had taken effect.
While the woman was brought to an emergency department in the east of the country, it is not clear whether the alleged sexual assault happened at the hospital or elsewhere. The paramedic, who has since been put on desk duty while the investigation is carried out, has been interviewed by gardaí. The man has been accused of assaulting the woman after he had injected her with a drug called midazolam, as well as the powerful painkiller Penthrox. Pic: File
He is still working at the National Ambulance Service. He has also had his phone, laptop and other electronic devices seized for specialist teams to investigate in the hope they might produce evidence which could lead to a prosecution.
Two previous incidents occurred approximately a decade ago, when the man worked at the National Emergency Operations Centre. At least three other incidents have been reported to NAS management in the past five years.
One woman, who spoke to Extra.ie, described how she was bombarded with text messages by the paramedic. Some of these messages were sexually explicit. 'I have no idea how he's still in his job,' she said. Two previous incidents occurred approximately a decade ago, when the man worked at the National Emergency Operations Centre. Pic: Shutterstock
'It just makes no sense to me. He's been removed from dealing with patients, that's one thing, but he's still working at a desk.' Despite the complaints against the man, he continues to work for the National Ambulance Service. However, he is not allowed to deal with patients.
Initially, when Extra.ie asked about the criminal complaint, the HSE said it had 'not been informed of any ongoing Garda matters relating to any such complaints'. However, when told that gardaí had officially confirmed that an investigation was ongoing, the HSE statement changed.
A spokesman said: 'The NAS management locally are aware of a Garda investigation into an allegation involving a staff member; however, NAS cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. Any allegation of sexual harassment is managed in line with the HSE Dignity at Work policy. Initially, when Extra.ie asked about the criminal complaint, the HSE said it had 'not been informed of any ongoing Garda matters relating to any such complaints'. Pic: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
'All investigations under the HSE dignity at work policy are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Following on from the complaint to gardaí, the NAS senior management has urged anyone who has suffered sexual harassment or assault to get in touch with them.'
A statement sent by NAS management read: 'I would urge anyone who has experienced any form of harassment (sexual or otherwise) or bullying (including cyberbullying) to formally report it to a NAS manager without delay.
'Equally I urge you to be an active bystander and call out such behaviour by others to others, in the event that you witness it. 'In recent times, NAS have demonstrated a strong commitment to holding staff to account for such behaviour, but this can only be done if the behaviour is reported to us in the first instance.'
The HSE was asked several times how its internal investigation process works and if it thought it was appropriate that a man accused of sexual harassment and assault should be allowed to remain working while an investigation is conducted.
The HSE did not respond to this question. It said in a statement: 'Protecting the safety of employees and service users is a priority concern for the HSE. The dignity at work policy for the public health service sets out how the HSE and other public health service organisations aim to create and maintain an environment where staff are treated with dignity and respect.
'The policy aims to protect employees from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment by other employees and non-employees. The policy provides for all staff and line managers across the HSE to have access to dedicated and specific training, complainants to have access to support contact persons and independent screening of all complaints to ensure natural justice is afforded to both complainants and respondents.'
In a statement, gardaí said: 'Gardaí are aware of an allegation… Investigations are ongoing
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Extra.ie
a day ago
- Extra.ie
Investigation launched after patient assaulted by A&E paramedic
A paramedic is being investigated by gardaí for allegedly sedating a woman with drugs and sexually assaulting her when she attended an emergency department, can reveal. The man has been accused of assaulting the woman after he had injected her with a drug called midazolam, as well as the powerful painkiller Penthrox. Midazolam is used to induce sleepiness or drowsiness and to relieve anxiety before surgery or other procedures. The alleged perpetrator, a man in his 50s, has been accused of harassing women in five previous cases. One woman working for the HSE told that he bombarded her with texts. She also said he should have been removed years ago. An A&E paramedic is being investigated by gardaí for allegedly sedating a woman with drugs and sexually assaulting her when she attended an emergency department. Pic: Getty Images The man has come to the attention of the National Ambulance Service's (NAS) internal investigators on several occasions over the past decade due to his alleged harassment of women. At least one resulted in the NAS issuing a formal apology for his behaviour to a woman. However, he remained in his job. ascertained that the man has been involved in at least five incidents of misconduct involving female staff. In this latest case, the man is also accused of sexually assaulting this woman after the drugs had taken effect. While the woman was brought to an emergency department in the east of the country, it is not clear whether the alleged sexual assault happened at the hospital or elsewhere. The paramedic, who has since been put on desk duty while the investigation is carried out, has been interviewed by gardaí. The man has been accused of assaulting the woman after he had injected her with a drug called midazolam, as well as the powerful painkiller Penthrox. Pic: File He is still working at the National Ambulance Service. He has also had his phone, laptop and other electronic devices seized for specialist teams to investigate in the hope they might produce evidence which could lead to a prosecution. Two previous incidents occurred approximately a decade ago, when the man worked at the National Emergency Operations Centre. At least three other incidents have been reported to NAS management in the past five years. One woman, who spoke to described how she was bombarded with text messages by the paramedic. Some of these messages were sexually explicit. 'I have no idea how he's still in his job,' she said. Two previous incidents occurred approximately a decade ago, when the man worked at the National Emergency Operations Centre. Pic: Shutterstock 'It just makes no sense to me. He's been removed from dealing with patients, that's one thing, but he's still working at a desk.' Despite the complaints against the man, he continues to work for the National Ambulance Service. However, he is not allowed to deal with patients. Initially, when asked about the criminal complaint, the HSE said it had 'not been informed of any ongoing Garda matters relating to any such complaints'. However, when told that gardaí had officially confirmed that an investigation was ongoing, the HSE statement changed. A spokesman said: 'The NAS management locally are aware of a Garda investigation into an allegation involving a staff member; however, NAS cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. Any allegation of sexual harassment is managed in line with the HSE Dignity at Work policy. Initially, when asked about the criminal complaint, the HSE said it had 'not been informed of any ongoing Garda matters relating to any such complaints'. Pic: Sam Boal/ 'All investigations under the HSE dignity at work policy are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Following on from the complaint to gardaí, the NAS senior management has urged anyone who has suffered sexual harassment or assault to get in touch with them.' A statement sent by NAS management read: 'I would urge anyone who has experienced any form of harassment (sexual or otherwise) or bullying (including cyberbullying) to formally report it to a NAS manager without delay. 'Equally I urge you to be an active bystander and call out such behaviour by others to others, in the event that you witness it. 'In recent times, NAS have demonstrated a strong commitment to holding staff to account for such behaviour, but this can only be done if the behaviour is reported to us in the first instance.' The HSE was asked several times how its internal investigation process works and if it thought it was appropriate that a man accused of sexual harassment and assault should be allowed to remain working while an investigation is conducted. The HSE did not respond to this question. It said in a statement: 'Protecting the safety of employees and service users is a priority concern for the HSE. The dignity at work policy for the public health service sets out how the HSE and other public health service organisations aim to create and maintain an environment where staff are treated with dignity and respect. 'The policy aims to protect employees from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment by other employees and non-employees. The policy provides for all staff and line managers across the HSE to have access to dedicated and specific training, complainants to have access to support contact persons and independent screening of all complaints to ensure natural justice is afforded to both complainants and respondents.' In a statement, gardaí said: 'Gardaí are aware of an allegation… Investigations are ongoing
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Extra.ie
Son of Irish priest: 'Someone has to know where my fortune is'
Once Aidan Wilson finally discovered his true parentage, many incidents from his childhood began to make sense, while others became less clear. Now he knew why he looked like 'the man in black' from his childhood photos. What was less clear was how his mother had come into a considerable amount of money and why she would regularly visit a small convent near where Fr Paddy Crowe worked. When Aidan finally discovered who his father really was, he began to hear of the fortune he had amassed through business dealings and through fastidious saving. When Aidan finally discovered who his father really was, he began to hear of the fortune he had amassed through business dealings and through fastidious saving. Pic: Supplied Aidan said his newfound cousins would often speak about how 'loaded' their uncle was. He told 'When Paddy would head back to Ireland, he'd be there with wedges of fifty-pound notes. He wasn't being flash; he was a man who had a lot of money, and that's what all my new cousins were telling me. Some would say he had a million quid, others would say a little bit less, but it was a lot of money. 'This got me thinking as well. There were times where I'd wonder where the money would come from.' He recalled how, as a child, he would accompany his mother to a local convent every week. 'We'd go to this place when I was a kid, the Little Nuns of the Assumption. We were forever going to this convent and I hated it. It's a horrible building, and it's just directly opposite St John's Cathedral, where Paddy worked, literally 10 seconds across the road. Once Aidan Wilson finally discovered his true parentage, many incidents from his childhood began to make sense, while others became less clear. Pic: Supplied 'And we were forever, every week, going up to this bloody convent. I hated it and seeing these nuns in there, and I haven't a clue why. The thinking is that they were giving Mum a few pounds to look after me because Paddy was my father. 'There is no other reason why my mum would be going in there all the time. It made no sense. Then there was this big chunk of money my mum brought up. 'For example, when I was 16, our sister died. She's 20 years older than me, so my mom went into a bit of a big depression. Started drinking as her way [of] coping with it. When I was about 16 or 17, she told me, 'I have £10,000 for you.' 'I had just started work. I said, 'Well, give it to me now. I want to buy a flat.' She said 'no, no, I can't, you can have it when I die. I have no idea where she got that money.' Aidan said that when he started asking questions about Fr. Crowe's finances, the family began to ignore him. There is no suggestion that any of his Irish relatives are in any way connected with the missing money. 'None of them have any contact with me any more. Anthony [Fr Paddy's brother and Mr Wilson's uncle) writes letters to me and he calls me his 'prized nephew'. I've got it in writing, his handwriting, you know, 'my prized nephew'. 'When I contacted him first, he said: 'It's the most fantastic news.' A lovely man he is. When I went over there, I met Anthony. I met a load of cousins, and I spent a lot of time with Anthony. 'Anthony said Paddy had a lot of money. Another cousin had told me previously that Paddy was loaded and that he had a million quid… over a million quid. He was a really good businessman; he always had a flashy car. 'Anthony said to me, 'All I wanted from Paddy was his car', and that's what he got. 'He [Anthony] said: 'I don't know what happened to the rest of it.' He said no one seems to know what happened to Paddy's money. No one. It vanished into thin air. I didn't even get a pair of cufflinks. Nothing.' Aidan said he is seeking to employ a solicitor to help him get the answers he is searching for. And he added: 'We want to get to the bottom of this. I'm not going to stop until I find out what happened to my dad's money. 'There's someone out there who has it. There's someone there who knows exactly what happened to it [the fortune], and that's someone who needs to be properly looked at.'
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Extra.ie
'I suspected the priest in the old black and white photos was my real father'
The son of an Irish priest has called for a criminal investigation into the whereabouts of his father's assets and demanded: 'I want to know what happened to my father's fortune.' Aidan Wilson had always suspected that the local priest who baptised him as a baby in the UK was his father. The 'man in black' in a photograph in his house growing up was Fr Paddy Crowe, originally from Tuam, Co Galway, who worked and lived in England for much of his life before his death in 2000. But it was a full 22 years later before Mr Wilson, 57, was finally told by his brother Pat, who had three months to live at the time, that the priest who bore a close resemblance to him was indeed his father. Aidan Wilson had always suspected that the local priest who baptised him as a baby in the UK was his father. Pic: Supplied Over the past three years, Mr Wilson has been searching for answers about the man who fathered him, and what has become of the wealth he amassed during his lifetime. In an exclusive interview with Mr Wilson said the Catholic Church has many questions to answer, including if its members in England know what happened to the money his father allegedly amassed over his lifetime. He suspects that an Irish-based nun could hold the all-important information on Fr Crowe's fortune, but she has refused to speak to him about the matter. Attempts by to contact the nun were rebuffed by her order. A photograph published for the first time today shows Fr Crowe baptising Aidan at St John's Church in Norwich, knowing the baby was his own child. Pic: Supplied Mr Wilson said the nun was very close to Fr Crowe and would take holidays with him, and that she accompanied him to hospital for the surgery where he died on the operating table. Mr Wilson has spoken with the Bishop of Northampton, the Bishop of East Anglia, three of Fr Crowe's colleagues in Luton, as well as the head of the Columban fathers in the UK concerning the case. The police force in Bedfordshire, England, is also liaising with Mr Wilson after he tried to submit a criminal complaint regarding his father's missing money. He is now attempting to hire a UK-based solicitor to help him get answers. A photograph published for the first time today shows Fr Crowe baptising Aidan at St John's Church in Norwich, knowing the baby was his own child. Fr Crowne eventually settled in Luton. Pic: Getty Images Through DNA websites such as My Heritage and Aidan was able to determine that his first cousins were the children of Fr Paddy's siblings. A DNA test also proves his brother Pat is actually his half-brother. He now wants Fr Crowe's body to be exhumed to finally clear up any doubts about his parentage. Mr Wilson is also demanding that a 'proper investigation' is carried out into this father's missing fortune. But Mr Wilson insists it's not about the money, but about finding out the truth. 'I don't want people to read this and think, 'oh yeah, here we go, he's only after his money.' I was lied to for over 50 years of my life. I want the lies to stop, and I just want the truth.' Aidan's story begins in the 1960s, when Fr Crowe was a curate in Norwich, a historic cathedral city in the southeast of England. 'From a very, very young age, I always felt that my mum's husband, Bob, wasn't my dad,' he recalls. 'When I was very, very young, I questioned it. For a start, I never called him dad. I called him Bob. And I would say, 'Why do I call you Bob?' He said: 'Well, everyone calls me Bob.' And I said, 'well, I don't look like you' and he'd just say that I took after my mum. 'When I was young, I had a baby book and there were all things to do with the baby; locks of hair, pictures, what-have-you. But there's two pictures in that. One was a picture of a man in black holding a baby, which was me, and another picture was the man in black, my mum and me. And I would say to my mum, 'who is that man?' She'd say that was the priest who baptised you, and I'd say, 'he looks like me, mum', and then she'd change the subject.' Aidan said it was only when his mother was dying in 1999 that the subject of Fr Crowe and the family secret became more pronounced. Aidan has since gone on to say that had he been told the truth, he would have had the opportunity to meet Fr Crowe before his death. 'I always thought that that man in the picture was my dad, the man who baptised me. Anyway, this went on. I got nothing out of Mum and Bob, but when I was 12 years old, my big brother Pat, who is 17 years older than me, he and my mum had a massive falling out to the tune that they never spoke for 20 years until her deathbed. 'Pat disappeared, basically, for 20 years, but when mum was dying, I told Pat he had better go and see mum in Ireland, because she's dying, and he did so. 'So me and Pat got together for the first time in 20 years, and we went for a drink. We're still waiting for mum to be buried, and that's the first time I said to Pat: 'Is Bob my dad?' He was a bit taken aback about this because I said, 'I don't think he is. I never thought he was,' and he would lie and say, 'yeah, yeah, he is.'' Aidan said this 'went on for over two decades', in the early 2000s, when the brothers temporarily lived together, Pat hinted he had something to tell him. 'Sometimes, when he'd had a few, he nearly told me something. He almost told me a few things. 'He said he [priest] had to get out of Norwich quickly. Something happened.' Finally, after pressing the matter, Pat finally told his brother the truth while they were out having Christmas dinner in 2022. Pat was dying of cancer,' Aidan said. 'Pat only had a few months left to live, and I said to Pat at the table: 'Right, Pat. Same question I've been asking you for decades – is Bob my dad?' And he said, 'No, he's not. Your dad is Patrick Crowe. He's the bloke in the picture.' 'I said, I knew it all these years! You lied to me.' After that, Aidan said, 'Pat told me everything.' He told his brother Fr Crowe and their mother were always close, and that he was suspicious the pair were in a romantic relationship. He also recounted how Fr Crowe burst into the hairdressers where Pat was apprenticing at the time and announced to everyone: 'It's a boy! It's a boy! We have a boy!' Fr Crowe used to watch Pat play football every Thursday, but he began to notice that, shortly after the whistle blew, the priest would leave and head towards the Wilson household. Aidan said that one Thursday, Pat got himself subbed, went home early and 'caught mum and [Fr] Paddy naked having sex in the living room'. He told 'He [Pat] got himself into an altercation with Paddy. And mum was shouting at him, in the living room, to 'leave that man alone'. Anyway, Paddy grabbed his clothes, scurried out the house, putting them on, and ran out, and disappeared. And then mum was pregnant.' Aidan said his brother was scared for the future of his family as Fr Crowe continued to come around to the house. At one stage, Pat went to St John's Church in Norwich and told a senior priest Fr Crowe was the father of his little brother. Months later, after hearing nothing back, Pat returned to the church to demand that something be done. On this occasion, Aidan said his brother spoke with 'a more senior priest. He said: 'I want something done. Everyone knows what's going on here. Something needs to happen.'' Days later, Fr Crowe arrived at their family home and revealed he was being sent away. He never returned to the Wilson home but took up several new parishes, eventually settling in Luton. After Aidan finally discovered the truth about his father, he tried to get in touch with his relatives in Ireland. He said some were delighted to hear they had 'a piece of Paddy still alive', but others were less forthcoming. It was through Aidan's conversations with his new-found cousins that he heard of Fr Crowe 'fortune'. He said multiple people told him his late father was 'minted' and that he had always been successful when it came to money. This came as a surprise to Aidan, as he had heard that the only thing that was handed over after his death was Fr Crowe's car, which went to the priest's brother, Anthony. From this point, Aidan began carrying out his own investigations with the help of Vincent Doyle of Coping International – an organisation set up to help children of priests around the world. Through the organisation, attempts are now being made to find out exactly what happened to Fr Crowe's fortune.
