Offaly GP accused of killing daughter admitted giving too much sedative after she woke screaming
An Offaly GP accused of killing her severely disabled daughter admitted giving her too much of the sedative Chloral hydrate.
The Central Criminal Court has been hearing evidence of Bernadette Scully’s interviews with gardaí.
Bernadette Scully has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Emily Barut at their home at Emvale, Bachelor’s Walk in Tullamore in 2012.
She is accused of doing so through an act of gross negligence involving the administration of an excessive dose of Chloral hydrate.
During a voluntary Garda statement on September 21, 2012 – less than a week after Emily’s death – she admitted giving her a number of doses after she awoke during the night screaming and crying.
She said she gave her another when she went into a fit a few hours later and panicked when she stopped breathing.
During follow-up interviews two years later, the court heard today that she admitted giving her too much but she asked: “What else was I to do, just stand there and watch her fit?"
She said she had nothing else to give her.
When asked why she did not call an ambulance, she said she did not think there was anything that could be done for her.
The trial resumes tomorrow.
