The trial of a nurse, accused of recklessly administering a substance to patients at Naas General Hospital that she knew to be capable of interfering with their bodily functions, is due to begin at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today.
Noreen Mulholland, of Runabeg Close in Kildare town, also faces charges of assaulting patients at the hospital.
The charges, which were preferred against her over two years ago, relate to her alleged treatment of two male patients at Naas hospital when she was a nurse there in 2003.
It has taken until now, however, for the case to come to trial.
In all, the nurse faces four charges: that she did intentionally or recklessly administer to John Gethings a substance which she knew to be capable of interfering substantially with his bodily functions on March 1st, 2003; that she did intentionally or recklessly administer to Séamus Doherty a substance which she knew to be capable of interfering substantially with his bodily functions between June 18th and June 19th, 2003; that she assaulted Mr Gethings causing him harm at Naas hospital on March 1st, 2003; and that she assaulted Séamus Doherty causing him harm at the hospital between June 18th and June 19th, 2003.
Mr Gethings died at Naas hospital on March 1st, 2003. Mr Doherty survived.
When each of the charges were put to Ms Mulholland after she was arrested in 2004, she replied "not guilty".
The body of Mr Gethings (77) was exhumed in July 2003 shortly after gardaí began investigating a health board complaint.