A FORMER Fermanagh nurse has been convicted of forging prescriptions in pharmacies in Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.

Yvonne Nelson (38), with an address Tempo Road, Enniskillen, faced 16 charges relating to the use of forged prescriptions to get access to an opioid-based painkiller for her own use.

According to the Sunday Independent, she was charged with using the forged prescriptions on 16 occasions in 2020 and 2021.

She appeared before Monaghan District Court on July 17, facing five charges relating to the use of the forged prescriptions in pharmacies in Cavan and Monaghan.

Representing Nelson was barrister Joseph D Smith who said that she had suffered from post-natal depression, and had experienced “traumatic pregnancies".

Mr. Smith told the court that she had been prescribed tramadol, an opioid-based painkiller, for a fractured coccyx but had become addicted.

He said that Nelson had engaged in cognitive behavioural therapy and was “clean” prior to the investigation, and has since emigrated with her husband and children to Dubai. 

Nelson was said to have worked in research and was not patient-facing, and her offending was described as “circular” as she was both the perpetrator and victim.

Mr. Smith said his Nelson was apologetic, recognised the damage her actions caused to trust in the healthcare system. 

The Barrister added that she had removed herself from the nursing register, and did not intend to return to the profession.

Judge Raymond Finnegan said that as there was more than one offence,  he could not leave Nelson without a conviction. 

Judge Finnegan said that he was aware she was facing similar charges in Ballyshannon in Donegal later the same week.

The judge convicted her of two counts of forgery and imposed two fines of €250, with the other three offences taken into consideration.

Nelson's other cases were up before Judge Ciaran Liddy in Ballyshannon on July 19.

She faced 10 charges of forgery, but five of those were withdrawn before the case began.

The five remaining charges spanned from April 2020 to July 2021 and related to using forged prescriptions in Cara Pharmacy, Maguires Pharmacy and Pillbox Pharmacy in Ballyshannon, contrary to Section 25 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.

Judge Liddy applied the probation act to the five remaining charges, leaving Nelson without any convictions for the Donegal cases.

Company records show Nelson has been a co-director with her husband Dr. Adam Nelson of two companies based in Fermanagh, Erne Imaging Ltd and Radiology Consulting Ltd.

An online biography says that Dr. Nelson has been working in a Dubai hospital since 2022 as a consultant radiologist. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing against him.