A MAN developed a fixation for a nurse after spending two spells on a ward in Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Blackburn magistrates heard there were no problems while he was in hospital but a month after his second discharge Damian John Brown returned to the hospital and that was the start of a three month course of harassment.

The court was told how Brown repeatedly telephoned the ward trying to speak to the nurse and turned up in person on five occasions.

Most of the time other members of staff answered the calls or intercepted Brown and there was no contact with his victim.

But on one occasion he confronted her on the ward and said people had told him to ask her for a date.

Brown, 50, of Carlton Gardens, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to harassment.

He was remanded on bail until November 9 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

A condition of bail is that he does not enter the hospital grounds unless by prior appointment or in an emergency.

Jim Mowbray, prosecuting, said that after the first visit to the ward on June 1, Brown started ringing the ward.

Initially there were no concerns because he was a former patient but the victim and her colleagues became more concerned as the calls and visits continued.

"They started to log the calls and he was told to stop attending but the visits continued despite that," said Mr Mowbray.

"He was asking for the victim by name and she was so concerned she contacted the police who spoke to him."

Mr Mowbray said contact stopped until August when the calls and visits began again.

"The victim says she had been left feeling anxious and unsafe at work," said Mr Mowbray.

"She had to get colleagues to escort her to and from her car."

In a victim impact statement she said Brown had a "weird obsession" with her.

"I just want him to stop and leave me alone," she said.

Paul Huxley, defending, said his client had mental health issues. He said the victim had been one of the nurses who looked after him on his two stays in hospital.

"He accepts that he took a shine to her and that he read more into her care than there actually was," said Mr Huxley.

"When I told him how she felt he was quite shocked. He said he never meant for her to feel like that."

Mr Huxley said Brown was receiving help and support with his mental health problems from the relevant agencies.