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Dangerous to convict accused surgeon on "uncorroborated evidence" of complainants, judge tells jury
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, faced eight charges of indecent assault against five teenage male patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. Shine pleaded not guilty. Judge Cormac Quinn warned the jury that convicting on the uncorroborated evidence of any complainant would be dangerous, emphasizing that the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that Shine attended to the complainants, that the alleged acts occurred, were not legitimate medical examinations, and were intended as indecent. He noted the absence of credible independent corroboration for any complainant and urged jurors to exercise special care when assessing each claim. The judge also highlighted the challenges posed by the 42‑year delay, including missing records and the difficulty of defense, and advised that any reasonable doubt should favor the accused. The jury was sent home for the night, with deliberations to resume the next morning.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Dangerous to convict accused surgeon on "uncorroborated evidence" of complainants, judge tells jury. Charges or matters: eight charges of indecently assaulting five patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and at his private clinic, both in Drogheda, Co Louth, on dates between 1964 and 1991. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- 1964 and 1991 Other
- 2017-10-31 Publication
Why: He said in cases with such a delay there is a "special need to exercise caution if you're minded to convict" because it is "much more difficult for a person to defend themselves against an old complaint". CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: eight charges of indecently assaulting five patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and at his private clinic, both in Drogheda, Co Louth, on dates between 1964 and 1991 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
Topics
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