A SCIENTIST who harassed a former colleague at Worcestershire Royal Hospital with resentful telephone calls has been given a three-year restraining order.

Biomedical scientist Andrew Mohammed admitted harassment without violence of Dr Rosemary Hill and making persistent telephone calls to his old department at the Worcester hospital which caused ‘annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety’ when he appeared before Worcester magistrates.

Mohammed, aged 40, phoned Dr Hill, a clinical scientist at the cytology department, on Monday, October 5, and called her ‘evil’ after drinking one-and-a-half bottles of wine. Mohammed has been unable to take up a new position at Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust because of an earlier investigation at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Mark Johnson, prosecuting, said he rang her on the day and said: “Is that Rose? You will be getting your walking boots – you will be walking home tonight.”

Mr Johnson said she was so nervous that she asked a colleague to accompany her to the car park and Mohammed kept ringing back throughout the day, swearing at his old colleagues until even the switchboard refused to put him through. Mohammed then put on an Irish accent and claimed he was called “Eddie Murphy” so he could get through to the department. Mr Johnson said: “He made a number of other calls to the department and the phone was constantly ringing.

“The constant phone calls caused considerable disruption to the department and proved highly inconvenient for all members of staff. He accepts he was asked to leave early and that he had been prevented from taking up his new job and became resentful.”

The calls followed an earlier incident on Tuesday, June 16 when Mohammed, of Glendale Close, Hereford, had gained access to Dr Hill’s office, scattering about paperwork from a filing cabinet and leaving behind a ‘derogatory’ letter recording his grievances against her. The incident led to him being escorted from the building and asked to collect his belongings.

Mick Walker, defending, said a psychiatrist had established that Mohammed was suffering from episodes of mania, increasing energy and lack of sleep caused by bipolar disorder. Mr Walker said Mohammed was now in ‘dire financial straits’ with his mortgage and council tax in arrears because he is now unemployed.

Mohammed was given a 12-month conditional discharge and a restraining order for three years which stipulates that he must not contact directly or indirectly Mrs Hill, and not to behave in a way likely to cause her harassment or distress.

He was also ordered to pay £85 costs. Mohammed was told that if he needs to contact Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, it must be by letter rather than telephone.

A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said an investigation had started about concerns raised by Mohammed before his departure.