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A paramedic who tricked a woman into having an abortion by secretly inserting drugs inside her during sex has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Stephen Doohan, 33, was married when he met the woman on holiday in Spain in 2021 and began a long-distance relationship.
In March 2023, the woman travelled to Edinburgh to see him after learning she was pregnant, the high court in Glasgow heard.
On 17 March, Doohan inserted an abortion drug in her vagina without her knowledge during consensual sex and the following day insisted on seeing her underwear after she noticed white discharge, the court heard.
Last month he had pleaded guilty to sexual assault and depositing a drug into her vagina causing her to abort, and depositing with intent to cause her to abort.
On Monday the defendant, a clinical team leader at the Scottish ambulance service, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison.
The court heard that the paramedic convinced the woman, who has not been named, to lie to doctors at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary because he thought he would be arrested if she told the truth.
The victim attended another regional hospital with her sister and was told that she was having a miscarriage.
The court heard that in May 2023 the woman complained to the Scottish ambulance service, which launched an investigation.
On 14 March, the day the woman told Doohan she was pregnant, he used a work intranet to search for abortion drugs, the court was told.
Sentencing, Lord Justice Colbeck said: “You put her through considerable pain over a number of days, and left her facing a lifetime of pain and loss.”
He also said Doohan caused “long-term psychological injury” to his victim.
The court heard that the crimes occurred over 48 hours, starting on 17 March at Doohan’s flat in Edinburgh.
Colbeck said Doohan had told the woman he did not want children, but she later became pregnant.
The judge said: “She felt something hard being inserted into her vagina and believed this was a sex toy.”
However, the following day, after discovering unusual discharge in her underwear, and suffering stomach cramps, she returned to Doohan’s flat.
The judge said: “She took some diazepam and went into a deep sleep, and felt you initiating sexual contact.
“She felt you inserting something hard from under the mattress. She was suspicious of your actions.
“When you went to the bathroom, she took the opportunity to look under the mattress.”
The woman found some tablets hidden under the mattress, the court heard.
Colbeck said: “The complainer then carried out an internet search for abortion tablets and confronted you over your actions.”
He added: “You planned out what you did to your victim using resources available to you as a paramedic.”
Defending, Mark Stewart KC said: “I express Mr Doohan’s deep sorrow and regret for the actions he is now in the court charged with.
“His position is that he is filled with remorse for the harm he has caused, and the breach of trust his actions represented.”
