British nurse who was convicted in 1974 of the murder of a patient with insulin after being inspired by the plot of A Man Called Ironside. She was released on appeal in 1975, despite three appeal court judges saying there was ample evidence to support the conviction, as the trial judge had inadvertently misled the jury in his final summary. The appeal court judges said that it was an omission that ‘a few words could have cured’. Apart from the case prosecuted, another 23 cases were deemed suspicious by investigators. Although acquitted, McTavish’s case often is mentioned in lectures at medical colleges in Britain, and is cited in textbooks and academic papers about forensic science and medical malpractice. McTavish, now known as Jessie Gordon, is believed to have been the inspiration for serial killer nurse Colin Norris.
