Skip to content

Mental health nurse sexually assaulted patient

GMP A police mugshot of Matthew Whatron, who has black hair, a beard and lip, ear and nose piercings.GMP
Matthew Wharton attacked the woman on a hospital ward after he contacted her on social media

A mental health nurse who sexually assaulted a patient on a ward has been jailed.

Matthew Wharton was arrested in May after the woman reported that he had "repeatedly raped" her at Laureate House, a mental health facility next to Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester, police said.

The 37-year-old agency nurse pleaded guilty to a range of sexual offences against the woman.

Wharton was jailed for four-and-a-half-years at Manchester Crown Court and was also given a 10-year restraining order.

'Utterly deplorable'

Wharton had tried to contact the woman on Instagram but after she did not respond a few days later he followed her from his Snapchat account, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

The nurse "coerced the woman into a relationship where he took advantage of her and began sexually assaulting and raping her", the force said.

Detectives said he attacked her on the ward as well as away from it.

Wharton pleaded guilty to five counts of a care worker engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a mentally disordered female and two counts of care worker engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a mentally disordered female.

Det Con Chloe Stevens said: "I commend the victim for her bravery in reporting these offences to the police and trusting us to investigate.

"The suffering Wharton has inflicted on a young and vulnerable woman is utterly deplorable and I am pleased the sentence places him safely behind bars.

"He was in a position of care and abused that power for his own sexual gratification."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected]