Nurse accused of Stepping Hill murders was 'very rude' with alleged victim

A nurse accused of murdering and poisoning hospital patients was "very rude" to the daughter of one of his alleged victims, a court has heard.

Victorino Chua, 49, is alleged to have contaminated saline bags and ampoules at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport with insulin using a hypodermic needle in June and July of 2011.

The Crown say the defendant changed tack in January 2012 amid an ongoing police investigation and increased security when he deliberately altered drug dosages on prescription charts.

One of the charts altered was that of 86-year-old Maria Pawlyszyn who was admitted after she had suffered a suspected mild heart attack.

Her daughter, Anna Dodd, told a jury at Manchester Crown Court that she and Chua had clashed shortly after he introduced himself when her mother was transferred to Ward A3 just after midnight on January 2, 2012.

She said she told Chua that her mother was supposed to be placed on a heart monitor but he replied he could not do that because there was no such recommendation in her medical notes.

A heart monitor was eventually brought after she spoke to a ward sister, she said.

But when she returned to her mother's bedside she said Chua "sort of stormed away" and she explained she could see he was "very angry".

Ms Dodd then said Chua arrived with the monitor and "threw it" on a bed table.

She said that he seemed very agitated and cross which in turn made her cross and upset. She said it still upset her now.

She went on to say that Chua was "muttering" about a missing cable and later he told her again that he had rung for assistance and was told she did not need a monitor.

Ms Dodd said: "I said to him something along the lines of 'well if anything happens to my mother in the night then you will have me to answer to', because I was so upset."

She denied a suggestion from Peter Griffiths QC, defending Chua, that her frustration at waiting all day for her mother to be admitted to Ward A3 had "coloured" her description of the defendant.

She denied this and said that Mr Chua was angry because she was angry with him and that she was asking him to do something she did not want to do.

The jury has heard it was discovered later that day that seven patients had their prescriptions changed.

Recommended drug dosages for Ms Pawlyszyn from a doctor had been increased on her chart.

Another drug, bisoprolol - which the doctor said she had not ordered - also appeared on the chart, the court heard.

A hand-writing expert told the jury that it was his opinion that someone had attempted to simulate or copy the doctor's signature for that drug but he could not say it was Chua who did so.

Filipino national Chua, formerly of Churchill Street, Stockport, denies attempting to administer poison to Ms Pawlyszyn with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy.

Chua has pleaded not guilty to 36 charges in all, including three alleged murders, one count of grievous bodily harm with intent, 23 counts of attempted grievous bodily harm, eight counts of attempting to cause a poison to be administered and one count of administering a poison.

The trial continues.