Muckamore Abbey Hospital abuse accused appear in court
Five former members of staff at Muckamore Abbey Hospital appeared in court on Tuesday on charges linked to the alleged abuse of inpatients being treated for mental disorders. The first defendant to be arraigned at Belfast Crown Court was 32-year old Danielle Gallagher, who was charged with five offences. From Dermont Crescent in Newtownabbey, Gallagher was charged with being a member of hospital staff and willfully neglecting a patient.
It's alleged that on June 15, 2017 Gallagher "willfully neglected a patient receiving treatment for a mental disorder as an in-patient". When asked how she pleaded, Gallageher replied "not guilty". She was charged with a further four offences of a similar nature and entered "not guilty" pleas to all the counts. Next to be formally charged was Stephen Nixon, whose age on the court papers was given as 'unknown' and who faced a total of six offences. He was charged that on April 25, 2017 being a member of hospital staff he ill-treated a patient receiving treatment as an inpatient at the Antrim hospital. From Creevy Avenue in Belfast, he denied both this charge and a second offence of a similar nature. Nixon was then charged with making a false entry or statement on mental health documents on June 1, 2017. When asked how he pleaded to both this and a second similar count, he replied "not guilty". In addition, Nixon was charged with and denied being a member of staff and willfully neglecting a patient on June 1, 2017. The final count put to Nixon was a charge of falsely imprisoning a Muckamore Abbey Hospital patient on June 1, 2017, which he denied. The third defendant to enter the dock and be charged was Darren O'Kane who had a total of 33 offences levelled against him. Like his co-accused, the 35-year old from Creeve Court in Randalsdown denied all the offences. A court clerk charged O'Kane with an offence of being a staff member and ill-treating a inpatient on April 30, 2017. When a further 23 charges of ill-treating patients were put to O'Kane, he entered 'not guilty' pleas to all of them. O'Kane also had an offence of willfully neglecting a patient receiving treatment for a mental disorder on June 12, 2017 put to him. He denied this and a further five similar offences. The Co Antrim man was also charged with, and denied, falsely imprisoning a Muckamore Abbey Hospital on June 3, 2017 - and a further two similar charges. Darren O'Loan, from Aghaboy Gardens in Antrim was the fourth defendants charged with offences. The 37-year old was charged with falsely imprisoning a Muckamore Abbey Hospital patient on June 11, 2017 and when asked he pleaded, he replied "not guilty." O'Loan also denied an additional five charges of falsely imprisoning patients and detaining them against their will. When charged with a count of being a member of staff and ill-treating a patient on June 15, 2017 was then put to O'Loan, he denied this offence as well as a further five counts of a similar nature. He was also charged with willfully neglecting a patient on May 10, 2017. O'Loan entered a 'not guilty' plea to this, and to a further three similar counts. The fifth and final defendant had a total of three charges levelled against him. James Houston (38) from Elliotts Place in Strangford was charged with being a staff member and willfully neglecting a patient receiving treatment for a mental disorder on June 3, 2017. When asked by a court clerk how he pleaded, Houston answered "not guilty, sir" to both this charge and an additional two counts of a similar nature. After all five defendants were formally charged, Crown barrister Sam Magee KC told Judge Patricia Smyth there would be further arraignments this week. It also emerged during today's hearing that defence legal applications are being launched and these will be heard in the New Year.
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