Paramedic who secretly gave woman drug to abort their child jailed for ten years

In-brief

Paramedic Stephen Doohan, 33, covertly administered abortion drugs to a woman pregnant with his child
He crushed pills into a syringe and administered them during sex and while the woman lay in bed in his Edinburgh flat
The woman suffered a miscarriage after days of illness
She discovered hidden syringes and confronted Doohan who confessed in a recorded conversation
Doohan tried to buy her silence with perfume, football tickets, and cash, even rehearsing a false story for hospital staff as he begged her not to alert police
Judge condemned Doohan’s actions and said the victim faces enduring psychological scars

A paramedic who secretly gave a pregnant woman an abortion drug, killing their unborn child, has been jailed for ten and a half years.

Stephen Doohan concocted the plan after she told him she was having his baby.

The 33-year-old – who was a clinical team leader with the Scottish Ambulance Service – was married at the time.

He admitted his guilt at the High Court in Glasgow in May. On Monday, judge Lord Colbeck said Doohan put his victim “through considerable pain over a number of days and left her facing a lifetime of pain and loss”.

He added that in addition to the physical pain he inflicted, his victim had been left with “long-term psychological injury”.

Doohan crushed pills into a syringe before administering the medication as she lay in bed at his home in Edinburgh in 2023.

The paramedic gave her more of the drug days later. The court heard he inserted an abortion drug in her vagina without her knowledge during consensual sex.

The woman fell ill including fainting in the shower.

It later emerged that she had lost the baby as a result of what Doohan did.

He pleaded with her not to go police – and also tried to buy her silence with gifts.

But, she eventually reported him to the Scottish Ambulance Service having recorded a conversation of him effectively confessing. Doohan was arrested by police.

Married paramedic met woman on holiday

Doohan had met the woman while on holiday in Spain in 2021.

He didn’t tell her that he was married and they remained in contact.

In March 2023, the woman travelled to Edinburgh to see him after learning she was pregnant, Glasgow High Court heard.

By this time, Doohan had temporarily separated from his wife and was living in a flat in Edinburgh.

Days later, Doohan and the woman were involved in consensual sexual activity.

He then went on to do something she could not see, but she was not “suspicious of his actions” at that time.

This was the time he used the syringe.

The next day the woman began to suffer stomach cramps.

Back at Doohan’s flat, he gave her diazepam for the pain.

The court heard she ended up in a “deep sleep”, but awoke to find Doohan “initiating sexual contact”.

This time she was suspicious of what he was then doing, but was also feeling the effects of the diazepam.

Doohan later went to the toilet and the woman took the chance to look under the mattress.

“She found a plastic syringe containing crushed tablets which had been pushed to the end of the syringe,” prosecutor Scott McKenzie told the court.

“Next to the syringe were two white tablets that were in the shape of a star.”

The woman immediately searched online for “abortion tablet”.

The search returned images that matched the tablet the woman had found.

Doohan initially denied what he had done before breaking down in tears claiming he was “scared”.

He said he had got the tablets from a doctor, but insisted they would not “work” on the woman as it was the wrong dosage.

The mum-to-be phoned a friend who urged her to go to the police.

But, the woman initially had concerns for Doohan stating she did not want to “ruin” him if she was okay.

She still, however, recorded a conversation with him and it was then he confessed to using the syringe, but stated he “could not go through with it”.

He accepted “fragments” of the drug still may have ended up in the woman’s system.

The woman also discovered he had been researching abortion on the internet.

She tried to keep the tablets and syringe as proof, but could not find them after she had gone to the bathroom.

The woman then had to go to hospital in March 2023, due to ongoing pain.

Doohan went with her, but pleaded that he would be arrested if she “told the truth” and instead was to claim the pills came from “a friend of a friend”.

“Before speaking to medical staff, the woman and Doohan rehearsed what she was going to say,” the court heard.

“The midwife recalled her being distressed and concerned about the baby.

“Doohan appeared quiet and expressionless.”

The next day, the woman collapsed in the shower and had to return to hospital.

This time she insisted Doohan did not come into the examination room.

It emerged she had suffered a miscarriage.

Doohan then spent money on various gifts including perfume, socks, cash to get her hair done and football tickets to keep her quiet.

The prosecutor told the court: “He made reference to her not reporting him to the police before telling her: ‘If they want to come and arrest me, I am in St John’s Hospital in Livingston’.”

The last contact she had with Doohan was in late June 2023.

The woman initially lodged a formal complaint with the Scottish Ambulance Service.

She handed over screenshots of messages as well as the conversation she recorded.

This information was passed to the police.

Doohan discovered that she had made the complaint and asked that she send over the details of what she submitted, the court was told.

During the investigation, it was discovered Doohan had checked for medical information on the drug misoprostol the same day the woman told him she was expecting.

The court heard misoprostol can be “administered for the purpose of managing a miscarriage or inducing a termination of pregnancy”.

The woman has been “significantly affected” by her ordeal, the court heard.

“Stephen Doohan’s calculated and heinous actions caused the loss of the victim’s pregnancy, robbing her of plans she had for the future”
Fiona Kirkby, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences

On Friday, May 16, Doohan pleaded guilty to assault, sexual assault and another charge of causing the woman to have an abortion.

He had faced an allegation of stealing misoprostol from the Scottish Ambulance Service in Edinburgh, but a not guilty plea was accepted.

Mark Stewart KC, defending, said Doohan was “deeply sorry” for what he had done.

The lawyer added he had issues at the time which affected his “judgement and decision making” although that did not excuse what happened.

Doohan was also put on the sex offenders list.

A non-harassment order, banning Doohan from contacting or attempting to contact the victim, was also granted for an indefinite period.

The Scottish Ambulance Service called the case “appalling” and said it recognised the victim’s courage in coming forward.

“As soon as we learned of these very serious allegations and charges, we immediately took action, providing ongoing support to her whilst liaising with Police Scotland throughout the investigation,” a spokesperson said.

“We know nothing will change what has happened to the victim and all we can hope is this sentence provides some comfort to them.”

Fiona Kirkby, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said: “Stephen Doohan’s calculated and heinous actions caused the loss of the victim’s pregnancy, robbing her of plans she had for the future.

“He has now been held accountable for this fundamental breach of trust.

“While offences like this are thankfully rare, I hope this prosecution sends a clear message to all those who seek to inflict sexual harm towards women.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim, who must be commended for reporting her experience and seeking justice.

“We recognise that reporting sexual offending can be difficult but would urge anyone affected to come forward and seek support when they feel ready to do so.”