Health worker jailed for faking hospital stabbing

The reports of an attack outside Ailsa hospital sparked a large police response

A health worker who stabbed herself at a hospital and claimed she had been attacked has been jailed for a year.

Donna Maxwell, 48, denied staging the incident outside Ailsa Hospital in Ayr in November 2018.

It sparked a huge police response and an innocent woman - who has since died - later appeared in court before being cleared of any involvement.

At Ayr Sheriff Court a jury found Maxwell, of Irvine, guilty of wasting police time.

She collapsed in the dock as Sheriff Shirley Foran said there was no alternative to prison.

The court was told the police investigation had so far cost taxpayers £103,000 and that figure was expected to rise.

Police outside the hospital following the 2018 attack

During the trial, the jury saw CCTV footage of Maxwell buying a knife in Tesco that matched the blade she used.

The trial heard she had bought a Go Cook kitchen knife with a serial number that matched the blade.

Maxwell told the court the accusation that she had stabbed herself was "completely untrue".

She claimed she had been confronted by her alleged attacker before being stabbed.

Maxwell convinced colleagues who ran to her aid that she had been ambushed and knifed at the facility, which specialises in mental health, psychiatry and addictions.

Hospital secured

James McGoldrick, a detective sergeant in Police Scotland's cyber crime unit, told the trial that Maxwell's phone had been analysed.

Police found searches for "woman's anatomy" and "woman's anatomy diagram".

Searches for "claim compensation" on the UK government's website and "claim compensation if victim of crime", were also found in the web history.

Ian Gillies, defending, said Maxwell maintained that she was the victim of an attack.

He urged the sheriff not to pass a custodial sentence.

Sheriff Foran said: "The local community feared a knife attacker was at large, Ayr Hospital was secured for a period of time and further alarm was caused to one close colleague that she may have been the intended target.

"The divergence of police resources to your report meant the public were deprived of their efforts.

"Most heinously of all, your report led to a number of women being subjected to investigation and one was remanded for eight days.

"You have shown no remorse or have you taken any responsibility."