A nurse who sexually assaulted four female patients while they were unconscious after surgery has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Paul Grayson, 51, filmed the victims under their underwear and touched them inappropriately at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.
A ‘horrific breach of trust’
Grayson, who had more than 25 years of experience as a charge nurse, pleaded guilty to 23 offences of voyeurism, sexual assault, taking indecent images of a child and possessing indecent images of children. He also admitted to filming five female colleagues using the toilet at the hospital, and two other young women who were not connected to the hospital.
The court heard that Grayson targeted four patients who were recovering from surgery under general anaesthetic. One of them has never been identified from the footage. He also sexually assaulted two of them by touching their breasts and genitals.
Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, who presided over the case, said Grayson had ‘betrayed every ounce of trust reposed in him’ and ‘brought shame on an honourable profession’. He said Grayson’s actions were ‘planned and sustained’ and demonstrated a ‘breathtaking degree of arrogance’.
The impact on the victims
The victims of Grayson’s abuse said they felt violated, disgusted and traumatised by his actions. They said they had lost their trust in the medical profession and suffered from anxiety, depression and nightmares.
One of the victims, who was 19 at the time of the assault, said she felt ‘dirty and used’ and had difficulty forming relationships. Another victim, who was 24, said she felt ‘violated and humiliated’ and had flashbacks of the incident. A third victim, who was 31, said she felt ‘angry and betrayed’ and had problems with intimacy. The fourth victim, who was 34, said she felt ‘sick and violated’ and had panic attacks.
The judge said he had read the victim impact statements with ‘considerable care and concern’ and praised the victims for their ‘courage and dignity’.
The reaction from the authorities
Grayson was arrested in January 2022 after a colleague found a hidden camera in a staff toilet. The police searched his home and found more than 1,000 images and videos of his victims on his laptop, phone and memory cards.
Grayson was suspended from his job and later dismissed. He was also stripped of his status as a nurse by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Detective Inspector Michelle Thurgood, who led the investigation, said Grayson had committed a ‘horrific breach of trust’ and ‘abused his position of care in the grossest possible way’. She said the police had worked closely with the hospital and the Crown Prosecution Service to bring him to justice.
A spokesperson for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said they were ‘deeply sorry’ for the distress caused by Grayson’s ‘appalling behaviour’. They said they had taken ‘swift and robust action’ to ensure the safety of patients and staff, and had offered support and counselling to those affected.
