Former University of Michigan nurse sentenced to probation for stealing morphine from dying patient

Several members of LaKrisha Dobbins’ family also testified during the trial and recounted how Najer, who was not Dobbins’ primary nurse, entered her room in the intensive care unit throughout the day in September and used a syringe to siphon morphine from an IV.

They reported the incidents to hospital staff, who suspended Najer after determining a significant amount of the powerful painkiller meant for Dobbins was missing. The 26-year-old Ypsilanti woman died that day of natural causes.

Dobbins had several debilitating conditions caused by spinal meningitis, which she contracted at just 3 months old. She gradually went blind, was prone to seizures and needed specialized care from family members.

Speaking at the sentencing, Jeanette Birton, Dobbins’ mother, reiterated how her familiarity with the medical equipment needed to keep Dobbins alive all those years helped her determine what Najer was doing.

Birton said she hoped to get an apology from Najer for taking her daughter’s medication and adding more stress to an already painful time. But none came Thursday.

“It was sad. I looked right into her eyes like she did when she looked into my daughter’s as she stole that medicine, and got nothing,” Birton said. “If she had any remorse, I didn’t see any. Except about losing her ability to work. I have no sympathy for her.”

Najer was fired about two weeks after Dobbins’ death. Her attorney, Jerome Sabbota, said she expressed remorse. 

He then focused on her lack of a criminal record and nearly 20 years of dedicated service as a nurse in pre-sentencing arguments, officials said. Sabbota said today they will appeal on the grounds that her medical records and other evidence of her past shouldn’t have been admitted.

“There was evidence that the judge considered that he should not have, which we believe influenced the judge’s decision,” Sabbota said.

Testimony at Najer’s trial revealed supervisors removed her from duty for six weeks in 2008 after she appeared to be intoxicated and had difficulty walking on her own while on the job. She was diagnosed with a chemical dependency and was treated at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital before returning to work.

Each charge carried a maximum sentence of four years in prison. A pre-sentencing report recommended just six months of probation, but Swartz exceeded that amount within state sentencing guidelines, officials said. Drug screening is mandatory.

Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.