A NURSE collapsed in the dock after escaping a jail sentence for a series of thefts at health establishments.

Last month, a York jury convicted Donna Joan Sherratt, 42, of stealing equipment from York Hospital and a sex tablet and cash from a doctor's surgery at Coxwold, near Thirsk. She had denied all the charges.

Judge Paul Hoffman, the Honorary Recorder of York, warned her he would jail her, but adjourned sentence while probation officers prepared a report on her, giving possible alternatives to custody.

When she appeared before him yesterday, at Leeds Crown Court, he gave her 180 hours' community punishment instead of locking her up, and made her pay £200 prosecution costs. Legal staff called an ambulance when Sherratt collapsed.

Sherratt, a single parent from East End, Ampleforth, had denied six charges of theft. She had 17 years' nursing experience. Up to her arrest, she had been a practice nurse at Dr Sen's Coxwold surgery and before then had worked in York Hospital's renal unit. She now faces disciplinary action from the Nursing and Midwifery Council, her professional body.

During the trial, the jury heard that a blood pressure monitor and cuff from the renal unit were found in her house.

The jurors decided that, though she had come by it legitimately, she had stolen it by not returning it to the hospital. She had had it for some years.

They also heard how staff at the surgery became suspicious because small amounts of money were missing from its cash box and on police advice laid a trap. Shortly afterwards, police found one of the notes from the cash box in Sherratt's possession. She gave the jury different explanations as to how the various amounts of money had been missing, but they rejected her claims.

After her arrest, police found a Cialis tablet, which is a new Viagra-type drug, in her home. It had come from the surgery.

Before the trial, she had admitted seven counts of illegally possessing controlled drugs and got a two-year conditional discharge from Scarborough magistrates.

Barrister Chris Smith, prosecuting, said patients or their relatives had given her the drugs when they no longer needed them.

Updated: 10:18 Thursday, November 11, 2004