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Experienced nurse "severely addicted" to painkillers after attack by patient
Summary
Giovanni Protacio, 49, a former respected nurse with two decades of experience, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a nine‑month prison term that was fully suspended. Protacio had worked at Clonmethan Lodge nursing home in north County Dublin since November 2015. In that month a patient struck him on the head with a metal bar, causing soft‑tissue injury. To cope with the pain he began taking painkillers and sleeping tablets, becoming severely addicted. He used his access to locked medical cabinets to steal sleeping tablets and forged prescriptions. The thefts were uncovered in May 2017 when a pharmacist noticed a suspicious prescription linked to the nursing home. CCTV identified Protacio bringing the prescription in, and Gardaí searched his home in Lusk, finding stolen blank prescriptions and various brands of sleeping tablets. He pleaded guilty to one count of forgery of a prescription and three counts of theft of medicines and blank prescription sheets.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Experienced nurse "severely addicted" to painkillers after attack by patient. Charges or matters: one count of forgery of a prescription on May 3, 2017 and three counts of theft of medicines and blank prescription sheets from the nursing home on various dates up to May 2017. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- November 2015 Incident
- May 2017 Incident
- May 3, 2017 Other
- 2020-02-13 Publication
Why: He said his client trained as a nurse in The Philippines and became interested in people with special needs because of his noted "high levels of compassion". CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of forgery of a prescription on May 3, 2017 and three counts of theft of medicines and blank prescription sheets from the nursing home on various dates up to May 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Places mentioned
Topics
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