Manchester mental health nurse Matthew Wharton began a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence Thursday after a jury convicted him of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a 20-year-old patient entrusted to his care at Laureate House hospital.

The 37-year-old agency nurse, who had worked on the ward since August 2023, was found guilty of five counts of penetrative sexual activity and two counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a mentally disordered female, all offences committed under Section 38 of the Sexual Offences Act. Manchester Crown Court heard that Wharton coerced the woman into a relationship, assaulting her both on the ward and at locations he took her to off-site, after contacting her on Instagram and Snapchat in March when she was still an inpatient.

The abuse came to light in May when the victim disclosed to staff that Wharton had been raping her; Greater Manchester Police arrested him the same month. In addition to the prison term, Wharton received a 10-year restraining order barring any contact with the woman.

Detective Constable Chloe Stevens praised the victim’s courage, stating: “The suffering Wharton has inflicted on a young and vulnerable woman is utterly deplorable and I am pleased the sentence places him safely behind bars. He was in a position of care and abused that power for his own sexual gratification.”

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