Dundalk GP allowed to continue to practice with conditions attached to his registration
THE Dundalk-based GP who was found guilty by the Medical Council of two counts of professional misconduct earlier this year has been allowed to continue to practice at his surgery in the Ramparts, with conditions attached to his registration.
Dr Seamus Cassidy was found guilty in March by the Medical Council of two counts of professional misconduct found and allegations relating to ‘a conviction outside the state for an offence that if done or made in the state would constitute an offence triable on indictment’ and following submission of its report, the Medical Council decided to attach conditions to the Dr Cassidy’s registration.
He was convicted in Newry Crown Court in 2014 of conspiring with others to attempt to alter the €1.9 million will of Forkhill publican Kitty Haughey between December 2004 and 2007 and to fake a sale of property.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years.
Dr Cassidy told the Medical Council inquiry, held in Dublin in March, that he had been placed under threat by a man who is no longer at liberty and said the duress to witness the will ‘signature’ was made by a patient, ‘ Mr A’.
He said the threat increased and extended to his family and was ‘in the context of the geo-political area’. He told the inquiry the threat was ‘credible and real’ and Mr A was no longer at liberty. He said no harm came to his family but Mr A had previously enforced such threats.
‘I was trapped and I made the wrong choice’, Dr Cassidy said. During the inquiry, when asked how he felt about his participation in the matters relating to his conviction in the North, he replied: ‘I can only say shame, first of all to my family, to my profession.
‘It’s not very nice at this stage in your life to accept that you did something hugely irresponsible’.
Dr Cassidy told the inquiry that ‘in 2004 and before tha’t, he did have a problem with alcohol. ‘I drank too much and too regular,’ he said, and added he now had the problem under control, and has had no lapses.
The conditions on his registration include that he complete an alcohol awareness programme acceptable to the Medical Council; that he complete a programme in Medical Ethics acceptable to the Medical Council; that he undertake, with immediate effect, the bringing of his obligations up to date; that he meet with, on a regular basis for two years, a nominated person acceptable to the Medical Council to discuss your progress in compliance with the above and such person be free to provide reports to the Council if deemed necessary; that all cost arising from these conditions will be discharged by him and that the conditions attached to the retention of his name on the register remain in place for the minimum period of two years.
Dr Cassidy was suspended from practicing medicine in the North from 2010 until February of this year following the allegation about Ms Haughey’s will and the conclusion of the subsequent court case last year.
Suspicions were raised when Ms Haughey’s will was changed two weeks before her death.
The south Armagh publican was widowed and had no heirs when was found dead in the living quarters of her bar. Her body was exhumed and a post-mortem examination confirmed death due to natural causes.
Last year Dr Cassidy, also known as James, pleaded guilty to the will conspiracy. It was also alleged that Dr Cassidy failed to notify the council on his application for registration that he had been convicted in a court of law.
Dr Cassidy told the inquiry he failed to declare to the council in May 2009 that he was convicted of drunken driving in the North of Ireland.
He told the Medical Council inquiry he was ashamed and remorseful. He was embarrassed for his family and his profession, he said.
He was ashamed that he purported to witness the signature of a will but he was under extreme pressure and duress.
The 64-year-old GP runs a private-patient only practice, with staff, at the Ramparts and was previously part of the surgery run by the late Dr Mary Grehan.