Haywards Heath nurse faked kidnap to skip work

9:24am Friday 14th December 2007

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A nurse skipped work and claimed he had been kidnapped by robbers.

South African Tebogo Malotana, 63, failed to turn up for work for two days and then lied to bosses that he had been snatched off the street.

Now he has been suspended for a year after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was told of his erratic behaviour.

John Hepworth, for the NMC, told a conduct committee hearing how Malotana, of Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, had called the nurse he was supposed to be relieving from duty and said he would be late but never turned up.

He failed to arrive for his shift the following day, claiming he had been dumped in Brighton by robbers who attacked him after he got into what he thought was a taxi.

Mr Hepworth said: "He later claimed that he had been kidnapped and robbed at knifepoint.

"During subsequent disciplinary proceedings he admitted that this had been a lie."

The hearing was also told how the nurse performed karate chops in front of shocked colleagues at an aggression management class.

Malotana, who worked at Moorgreen Hospital in Southampton, smelled of drink when he told the course leader he could take over the class and "have it wrapped up in no time".

Throughout the course he demonstrated a series of potentially lethal blows and kicks to students who were supposed to be learning defensive restraints.

Malotana turned up half an hour late for the week-long training course in October 2004 to learn how to deal with aggressive or violent patients.

He walked in when course leader Naomi Hearne was leading a theory session.

Malotana refused to join the group and sat outside the circle.

Ms Hearne said: "Shortly after that, Mr Malotana stood up and came to the front of the group.

"He stated that he could take the session for me on my behalf, and could have it wrapped up in no time, or words to that effect.

"There was a faint smell of alcohol on his breath. My automatic thought was he had been out the night before."

Malotana continued to disrupt the session with 'random' questions, and when they began a physical warm-up ready to learn defensive restraint moves, he started to act up again.

She said: "He was doing karate kicks and karate chops. It didn't bear any resemblance to what I was trying to teach, it was quite odd.

"This continued when the class members were put into pairs to practice.

"He was doing karate moves and things. It was very different to the behaviour of the rest of the group and I think they were quite disturbed or embarrassed by it.

"I had to keep on telling him to act appropriately. It is quite a serious matter, management of violence and aggression."

Malotana, who was employed by the Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust, was seen by senior nurse Anne Martin on October 28, when he made the claim about being kidnapped.

He was later dismissed from the trust following disciplinary proceedings.

Malotana, who did not attend the hearing, was suspended for a year by the NMC's conduct and competence committee.

Panel chairwoman Liz Hewett said his behaviour concerned them and he did not seem to realise the effect of his actions on colleagues.

She said: "We place greatest weight on there being no evidence of any insight into the impact of Mr Malotana's behaviour.

"Although we regard the matters as serious, they are not as serious as many matters that come before a panel of the Conduct and Competence Committee.

"We believe it would be disproportionate to take such a serious step as to impose a striking-off order."