Sex-accused nurse scared co-workers

Workmates of a nurse accused of having sex with an insane killer from a top security Auckland psychiatric unit were scared of her, a tribunal was told today.

The woman, who has interim name suppression, has denied professional misconduct.

The Health Practitioners Disciplinary tribunal in Auckland has been told the relationship began with the man, who had been found not guilty of murder on the grounds of insanity, while she worked in Auckland's Mason Clinic.

It began with kissing and cuddling and progressed to full sex when she accompanied him on his "day leave".

She provided the man with a cellphone, told him she loved him and sneaked him away from the clinic to have sex either at her home or in toilets at nearby Unitec or Pt Chevalier library and McDonald's over four months in 2004.

She also ignored a an escape by the man, identified only as B, and another dangerous patient.

On the second day of the hearing today, Audrey Walsh, service manager at the Mason Clinic, said staff were a "bit scared" of the nurse because she was assertive and articulate.

She found it hard to ask for help and rejected offers of help.

She was very confident of her Maoritanga and would assert her views strongly.

She said not withstanding whether she had had a sexual relationship with the patient, she had broken all the rules and policies put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff and patients.

"She put herself at huge risk, she put B (the patient) at huge risk and she also put other staff and the public and patients generally at huge risk," Ms Walsh said.

The hearing is continuing.

- NZPA