A FORMER special constable who was jailed for trying to get her son off a speeding offence has been suspended from the nursing register.

Care home deputy manager Karen Ravenscroft, then 61, was sent to prison for five months in 2019 after she admitted perverting the course of justice.

Her son, Andrew, was caught speeding in Southampton in 2017. But she gave him a cover story, writing to Hampshire police telling them the man had a business meeting at her care home on the same day as the speeding offence and falsified a visitors’ book to back-up the lie.

The Swindon judge who jailed her told the former Wiltshire police special inspector: “The message must be crystal clear – you cannot seek to pervert the course of justice.”

Now, a Nursing and Midwifery Council misconduct panel has suspended her from the register for up to 12 months, preventing her from practising.

Ms Ravenscroft admitted charges that she failed to notify the NMC that she’d been charged after July 2017 and, by virtue of a conviction for perverting the course of justice, her fitness to practice had been impaired.

The misconduct panel heard she had an “unblemished” 44 year career in nursing, rising to be deputy manager at Bassett House care home.

Her manager at the Royal Wootton Bassett care home described her as one of the best nurses she had worked with.

The unnamed home director said: “She is clinically very strong, hardworking reliable and dedicated to her role. Throughout this awful period Karen has remained incredibly professional and has never let this affect her residents or the staff who depend on her.”

Her removal from the nursing register would lead to the loss of a significant asset to the profession, it was submitted.

Ms Ravenscroft told the panel that “nursing is my life” and added that she was “truly sorry”.

The panel found that her fitness to practise had been impaired.

Imposing a 12 month suspension, panel chairman Catrin Davies said in a written report: “The panel considered that this order is necessary to mark the importance of maintaining public confidence in the profession, and to send to the public and the profession a clear message about the standard of behaviour required of a registered nurse.”

The registered nurse, from Melksham, did not attend the virtual hearing held on April 30.

In 2019, questions were asked by Judge Jason Taylor QC about why Ms Ravenscroft’s son had not been prosecuted over his part in the cover-up.

Derek Perry, the woman’s barrister, said it was offensive to common sense and justice for Ravenscroft to be imprisoned while her son walked free.