Murder-accused nurse ‘bullied at hospital’

A nurse accused of murdering and poisoning patients was getting bullied at the hospital where he worked, a court heard.

Victorino Chua was a “very good nurse” but did not get on well with some other nurses where he worked at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Manchester Crown Court was told.

The 49-year-old is accused of murdering three patients and poisoning 18 others by secretly injecting insulin into saline bags which were then used by “unsuspecting” other nurses while treating patients on wards A1 and A3 at the hospital.

Yesterday the jury was told about the death of Arnold Lancaster, 71, allegedly murdered by Chua during a spate of five poisonings on the ward while Chua was working the nightshift of July 10 to 11, 2011.

Nurse Angela Bryant working the day shift on July 10, admitted Mr Lancaster to ward A1 around 6.30pm and the patient was described as already gravely ill with cancer of the oesophagus and “very, very unwell”.

In her statement, read to the jury, she described Chua positively in his work as a nurse.

She said: “I found Vic always to be very quiet, he was never one for rubbish chit-chat.

“In my opinion Vic was a very good nurse, very caring and courteous. I always knew if I was ever taking over from Vic I would not be picking up a lot of stuff.

“I’m aware there were rumours Vic was being bullied on A3 by certain members of staff and wanted to move.

“I knew this got him down a lot because he did not get on well with the staff on A3. I did not witness any bullying.”

Mr Lancaster, who was not diabetic, died as a result of insulin poisoning by Chua, the prosecution alleges.

Chua, a Filipino and father-of-two, living in Stockport, is also alleged to have murdered Tracey Arden, 44 and Derek Weaver, 83, along with poisoning other patients under his care through insulin.

Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, has told the jury detectives discovered a “pattern” to the poisonings and the “common denominator” was Chua.

After security was stepped up at the hospital Chua is also alleged to have changed his methods by deliberately altering the medical notes of patients to increase the dosage of various drugs.

The trial is expected to last another three months.