Ex-surgeon Shine claims his groping trial is ‘unjust’

A RETIRED surgeon accused of groping boys in his care has told a jury it was ‘unfair’ and ‘unjust’ to put events which allegedly occurred decades ago to him at this stage in his life.

Michael Shine, 86, of Ballsbridge, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty at the Circuit Criminal Court to 13 charges of indecent assault allegedly committed during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda, Co. Louth, and at two private clinics in Drogheda.

On the 15th day of the trial, prosecutor Cathleen Noctor put it to Mr Shine that a man had given evidence that Mr Shine had fondled his private parts during examinations when he was 13 following surgery on his appendix in 1971.

Mr Shine said that there were no medical records of the examinations and the reality was that if someone had surgery on their appendix, a surgeon would see them briefly to determine they were fully recovered and ‘you weren’t concerned with them after that’.

He described a claim as ‘unbelievable’ and ‘shocking’ that he performed a sex act on a different 13year-old after surgery for testicular torsion and only stopped when the boy said he was unlikely to ejaculate as he had masturbated the night before. Mr Shine denied the incident had happened and said he had never discussed such topics with a patient in his life. ‘It is impossible, because it never occurred,’ he insisted.

In her closing speech to the jury, Ms Noctor said that the accounts of all complainants were similar. She added that the evidence was that each alleged assault happened to a male child while they were alone with their doctor.

In his closing speech, Hugh Hartnett SC, defending, suggested that memories fail and people can be open to suggestion and false memory. He added that all seven complainants went to the support group Dignity 4 Patients and had brought civil proceedings.

The trial continues today.