A nurse in Queensland, Australia, Karenjeet Kaur Warburton, has been banned from the healthcare profession for four years after being convicted of paying a patient to carry out a brutal attack on her ex-boyfriend.
According to reports by the Daily Mail, Warburton offered $3,000 to a patient, Andrew Bown, to mutilate her former partner—senior Queensland Police Inspector Don McKay.
The intended attack included cutting off McKay’s penis and tongue, burning his face with acid, and causing paralysis by severing his spine.
The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which handed down the ruling in March and made it public last week, described the act as deeply disturbing.
Tribunal member Julie Dick revealed that Warburton only abandoned her plan when she was arrested.
She later pleaded guilty to attempting to procure grievous bodily harm and malicious acts with intent and was sentenced to five years in prison, suspended after 16 months.
During the tribunal proceedings, Warburton did not contest the charge of professional misconduct. Her four-year ban includes time already served, and she will need to reapply for her healthcare license, facing additional requirements due to a lack of recent practice.
Meanwhile, Andrew Bown, who accepted the assignment, was convicted of multiple charges including arson and attempting to commit grievous bodily harm.
He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in 2022.
The shocking case highlights serious concerns about abuse of trust and the misuse of professional influence within the healthcare sector.