A doctor has told a jury that he prescribed Serenase to a patient at Naas General Hospital after he was bleeped because the patient was hitting and kicking staff and was considered to be a danger to himself and others.
Dr Hamid Mushtaq said he prescribed an intra-muscular injection of Serenase to Séamus Doherty (80), Rathcoffey, Naas, Co Kildare, on the night shift of July 3rd, 2003.
He said he would normally prescribe the drug in tablet form but he thought that the patient was too aggressive and the staff would not have been able to administer it in this way.
Dr Mushtaq was giving evidence on day 11 of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial of Noreen Mulholland (35), now living in Park Road, Portadown, Co Armagh, who has pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to John Gethings (77), Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, on March 1st, 2003, and to Mr Doherty between June 18th-19th, 2003.
Ms Mulholland, previously of Runabeg Close, Kildare, also denies intentionally or recklessly administering Serenase to both men, knowing it was capable of interfering substantially with their bodily functions, without their consent.
Orla Crowe, prosecuting, has told the jury that Mr Gethings died on March 2nd, 2003, but emphasised that it was not the State's case that Ms Mulholland was responsible for his death.
Dr Mushtaq said he told Mr Doherty's doctor, Dr Michael Durrity, the next day during rounds that he had given the patient Serenase the previous night.
Dr Durrity said Mr Doherty was not to be given the drug so Dr Mushtaq wrote "not for Serenase" on the patient's chart.
He said he first worked with Dr Durrity on July 1st, 2003 and had never worked with him in Naas before then.
Marie Carroll, a staff nurse at Naas, told Ms Crowe that she was on duty with Olwyn Bennett on July 3rd, 2003, when Ms Bennett had to bleep a doctor for Mr Doherty because he was shouting, screaming, trying to get out of bed and hitting and kicking staff.
She described him as being a danger to both himself and to staff.
Both she and Ms Bennett had tried unsuccessfully to calm him down before they bleeped Dr Mushtaq for assistance.
The trial continues before Judge Frank O'Donnell and a jury.