Sunderland nurse who had drugs from patient launches campaign to continue her career

Staff nurse Emma Marshall was working at Sunderland Royal Hospital in January 2014 when she was caught secretly stashing an elderly patient's morphine in her locker.

Police then raided her home and more of the Class A drug was found.

The 37-year-old, of Beechbrook, Ryhope, later said she was suffering from post-natal depression.

But prosecution lawyers said she had been "self medicating" illicitly with hard drugs she had not been prescribed.

At Newcastle Crown Court in March last year, Marshall pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of morphine. She was handed a suspended three-month sentence.

In March the previous year, she had been suspended from the profession by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

That order was made on an interim basis, whilst the NMC considered whether her crimes warranted her being struck off.

Today London's High Court heard that mum-of-two Marshall is trying to persuade the NMC that she should be allowed to return to work.

Judge Robin Purchas QC heard that Marshall qualified as a nurse 14 years ago and was a respected professional until her troubles in 2014.

Her barrister, David Combe, had told the Crown Court she had problems coping with motherhood and her prosecution was "a personal tragedy."

Before her downfall she had "attracted the admiration of some of her senior colleagues for the way she approached her work".

Today NMC barrister, Louise Hartley, successfully applied to the High Court for Marshall's suspension to be continued until June 16 .

She said the extension would allow time for a full hearing of Marshall's case by an NMC investigative panel.

Miss Hartley told the judge that Marshall now "wishes to put forward a different version of events" than that heard at the crown court.

Judge Purchas said: "There is a clear risk to public safety and the reputation of the profession if this suspension is not extended."

He added that Marshall was "seeking to mitigate" her position before the NMC panel in a bid to save her career.

The NMC hearing is now expected to go ahead within the next six months.