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GP on trial for manslaughter told gardai she was "a demented mother with a screaming child"

Summary

On the fourth day of the trial, 58‑year‑old GP Bernadette Scully, charged with the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old daughter Emily Barut, gave a voluntary statement to the court. She described the daily hardships of caring for a severely disabled child with epilepsy, microcephaly and cerebral palsy, and explained that she had administered chloral hydrate to relieve pain and stop seizures on the night of Emily's death. Scully admitted she had given more than the normal dose, noting that Emily stopped breathing after a fit. She also recounted two failed suicide attempts that day and expressed that she had never intended to harm her daughter. The statement was read into evidence, and the case remains in the Central Criminal Court. Bernadette Scully pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: GP on trial for manslaughter told gardai she was "a demented mother with a screaming child". Charges or matters: unlawfully killing 11-year-old Emily Barut at their home at Emvale, Bachelor's Walk, Tullamore. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• Saturday September 15th, 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
• September 20th Hearing Or Sentence
• July 27th, 2010 Other
• August 13th Other
• 2016-12-02 Publication

Why: She explained that she had left her job, but had been 'kind of forced back'. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report