A nurse who raped a vulnerable colleague by threatening to sack her if she did not have sex has been jailed for almost eight years.
Nigel Paul also sexually assaulted two other young women while working as a care home manager in North Lanarkshire.
He was sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison by the High Court in Glasgow, and was extradited from India back to Scotland for trial.
Paul pleaded guilty at a hearing in October, but the court heard that despite his guilty plea, a pre-sentence report showed he “extremely victim-blamed” – to the extent he claimed he was doing a favor for one of the women.
A court heard the 47-year-old rape victim was ordered to “do whatever I want” or face dismissal.
The 26-year-old victim returned from sick leave in April 2018 and told a senior colleague that her debt was a significant factor in her return.
A week later, Paul entered the woman’s office when he was alone and closed the door.
He said that he was at risk of losing his job due to taking too much time off. He said that he was aware of her financial problems and that she could be evicted from the house along with her children.
He told her to “do what I want” and, in reference to the sexual act, said that her job would be safe if she did it. He added that if she refused, it would be her fault that her children would be homeless.
After the forced labor, he was told not to tell anyone that ‘no one will believe you and your job will not be safe’.
The woman ran away crying.
She went on sick leave again and didn’t tell anyone what happened until the police investigated Paul’s abuse.
Attacking other colleagues
The hearing was told about a 19-year-old care assistant who Paul put his hand on her waist and tried to kiss her.
He told the woman: “I know you want this.”
Two weeks later, Paul moved his hand towards an intimate area of her body, while on another occasion he grabbed the waistband of her trousers and said he wanted to see the color of her underwear.
Paul also asked the 21-year-old care assistant if she was serious about her boyfriend.
He put his hands on her shoulders and hips and said: “I know you want this. I can tell by your body language.”
On another occasion, Paul tried to kiss her before pushing her away. Later that day, he molested the woman.
She told another co-worker that she was afraid she would lose her job if she complained.
Paul will be supervised for an additional two years upon his release.
He will also be on the sex offenders register for life and is banned from going near any of the victims.
fled to India
Paul was due to go on trial in 2019, but he did not appear and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
He fled to Kochi, India, claiming his father was ill, and was extradited from Delhi to Scotland before his arrest in February this year.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and sexual assault and was sentenced to eight years on a guilty plea.
However Lord Renucci commented on Paul’s comments in his pre-sentence report to Casey Edith Forrest.
The judge said he was concerned by victim blaming over his comments and although he was assessed as a moderate risk of re-offending, Lord Renucci believed that “grossly underestimated his level of risk”.
The judge told Paul he was in a position of power before he committed the planned and deliberate crimes.
He added: “In addition to the serious and violent nature of your offences, despite the fact that you have pleaded guilty, the version of events you have given bears little resemblance to what you have admitted.”
The judge said it went so far as to describe the rape as a “sexual encounter” which was “consensual”.
