Former nurse fined €3k for stealing drugs
Wilson Abel, 30, of Apartment 1, Rossan, The Headlands, Wilton, Cork, pleaded guilty to 12 sample counts of theft and a further 12 sample counts of forgery.
Mary Mills, acting director of nursing at St Mary’s Orthopaedic Hospital in Gurranabraher, Cork, said this was an isolated incident which had shocked staff at the hospital, not least because Abel was well-regarded.
Judge Con O’Leary took into consideration the submission made by Emmet Boyle, solicitor, that three days after Abel made admissions to the gardaí, he had attended voluntarily at a treatment centre to deal with his problems. The judge said this was a factor in not imposing a custodial sentence.
Detective Garda Pat Lyons said the defendant cooperated fully with the investigation and had no previous convictions.
The detective previously told Judge Con O’Leary at Cork District Court that the theft counts were sample counts arising out of more than 300 thefts of measures of Fentanyl Cytrate, an opiate drug used on patients undergoing hip and knee surgery.
The offences spanned from February 1, 2007, to July 16, 2007.
Judge O’Leary asked the detective what explanation the defendant had given for stealing the drugs.
“He said he was using it for his own personal use,” Det Garda Lyons said.
The Fentanyl Cytrate was stolen from the drug store in the theatre department of the orthopaedic hospital.
The painkilling drug is believed to be stronger than morphine and is described as a potent narcotic analgesic that is taken intravenously.
Inspector Michael McGuire said previously that the defendant altered the drug register in the theatre medical store after each theft to make it look like the drugs were taken out for use on patients.
The inspector said the offences came to light when there was an audit of the drugs register.
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