A veteran GP battered a mental patient with a fryi

A veteran GP battered a mental patient with a frying pan and a broken wine bottle after being called out to admit him to hospital, the GMC heard today (MON).

Charles Gould, 69, allegedly lashed out in a fury when the manic depressive said he should retire and called him ‘past his sell by date.

‘

The patient, who was known to carry a bayonet down his trousers, suffered cuts behind both ears when the doctor slashed at him with the glass bottle, it is claimed.

Gould, who worked at the Whiteabbey Health Centre in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, was also heard calling for the mentally ill to be shot, the hearing was told.

Two psychiatric nurses have claimed he erupted into a second abusive outburst a year later after being called to assess a woman patient.

Gould, who also worked as a medical officer in the police force, appeared at the GMC today facing a charge of serious professional misconduct.

Counsel for the GMC, Sarah Plaschkes, told how ‘patient X’ had a history of aggression and was known to carry a bayonet down his trousers because he believed ‘someone was after him.

‘

His fearful flatmate had called police and a consultant decided he should be admitted either voluntarily or by order.

Gould was called in to assess patient X for admission on June 7, 2001, but became abusive over the phone.

Miss Plaschkes said: ‘He sounded highly agitated, repeatedly stating that psychiatric patients had ruined his day.

‘He said he could do the admission from his office and write a note to the affect ”He is mad, has a bayonet and needs hospitalisation.

”

‘He said three patients had been shot in the USA and this was a good idea and the Northern Ireland services could learn from it.

‘

He then requested for police back-up with ‘firearms, leg shackles and handcuffs’.

Gould went inside the house with a policeman and two social workers to find patient X sitting sipping a glass of wine.

But when X told the GP he should be retired and was ‘past his sell by date’, Gould flew into a violent rage, it is claimed.

‘Dr Gould lunged at him, grapped a wine bottle which broke and hit X behind the ear.

‘The officer tried to remove the glass but got cut and Dr Gould then hit patient X 13 times over the head.

‘He then picked up a frying pan and hit him over the head.

The police officer handcuffed X and took him while Dr Gould kicked the patient’s legs.

‘

The two social workers also claimed to have seen the doctor hit X with the frying pan, the hearing was told.

But the officer said X had lashed out at them with the broken wine bottle and the frying bottle before the doctor managed to wrest it from the patient.

PC Duncan Gray from Newtownabbey CID needed three stitches to a gash beneath his thumb and suffered nerve damage.

Leaving the house, Dr Gould was heard to say: ‘I have had 45 years experience with psychiatric bastards.

‘

Gould later gave a similar account to the officer but admitted the patient might have been hit during the scuffle.

‘I decided we would have to admit X ourselves, possibly restraining him in handcuffs.

‘He refused.

We approached him and at that point he threw wine across the room, smashed a glass bottle and threatened us.

‘

He also claimed to have received multiple cuts to his fingers and the back of his right hand.

Gould next got into trouble when he was called out to assess a female patient Y on March 15, 2002.

The GP refused to wait for police at the house and started to leave, it is claimed.

”He said psychiatric patients were a pain in the ass, time wasters and there was nothing wrong with her.

‘He said he hated psychiatric social workers.

‘

A nurse heard him say: ”All psychiatric patients are evil.

I hate them all.

They are no use to society and are all violent.

”

The GP qualifed at Queens University in Belfast in 1957 and became a principal GP in 1960.

Gould, of 700 Shore Road, Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, denies serious professional misconduct.

The hearing continues.

ends

addpan.