Evidence concluded yesterday in the trial of former hospital consultant Dr Michael Shine (72) on charges alleging he indecently assaulted six male patients between 1974 and 1982.
Dr Shine, with an address at Wellington Road, Dublin, denied the 11 assaults on the then teenage boys. His trial at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court has so far lasted 11 days.
The assaults are alleged to have taken place at either Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, or at his consulting rooms on Fair Street, Drogheda.
Yesterday, the final witness for the defence, Dr Tom Gorey, professor of Surgery at the Mater Hospital, gave evidence about his support for a holistic approach to patients which includes giving full physical examinations, including genital examinations.
The court heard Dr Gorey had worked with Dr Shine in the Lourdes hospital in 1974 and 1978. He said he thought the accused "was an excellent general surgeon" and "he was held in the highest respect by his professional colleagues". Dr Shine has already given evidence about his tendency to do full or general examinations of patients and not to simply focus on the complaint they presented with. Dr Gorey endorsed this approach yesterday, saying that he would examine all the major body symptoms including the genital area.
He said this holistic approach is under attack but that he teaches it to his students as the body is made of integrated symptoms and such a physical examination is "the scene of crime line".
Cross-examined by John O'Kelly SC, prosecuting, Dr Gorey insisted that an in-patient could have such full physicals on a daily basis even if one had been done on admission.
Asked if this physical would be done on a patient who had a broken wrist and was on a return visit as an out-patient, Dr Gorey said it would be the surgeon's judgment call but if there were no medical students he may curtail it.
When Mr O'Kelly said that meant that a doctor with up to 40 out-patients would fail in his duty if he failed to do a full physical examination each time they came back, Dr Gorey said that was what they (doctors) had to do.
Following an application by the defence, Judge Michael O'Shea agreed to adjourn the trial until Tuesday when closing speeches will be made and the jury will be charged before retiring to consider its verdict.