WILL & DISGRACE
EXCLUSIVE: Nurse allegedly exploited patient to raid his $1m estate
A TWEED nurse is under investigation for allegedly changing the will of a lonely man in need of care to gain access to his $1 million estate.
The nurse and a social worker were part of a transitional care team looking after Pat Meagher during his recovery from a motor vehicle accident. Documents show NSW Health is investigating claims the nurse used her profession to exploit a personal relationship and visited lawyers at Kingscliff to change his will to make herself the sole beneficiary.
His sister, Leonie Eglington, said she also found money missing from her ‘frugal’ brother’s safe.
NSW Health is investigating allegations a Tweed nurse changed the will of a lonely old man in need of care to gain access to his $1 million estate.
The nurse and a social worker were part of a transitional care team after Pat Meagher, a retired boilermaker from the Condong Sugar Mill near Murwillumbah, recovered from a motor vehicle accident.
Mr Meagher’s sister, Leonie Eglington, of Goondiwindi, was his appointed attorney and guardian, but found herself banned from a hospital visit on her brother’s birthday as the nurse shared a cake with him.
Ms Eglington and Mr Meagher, whom she said was “frugal” and distrusted banks, had each left $180,000 of inheritance money in a safe at his Chinderah home along with $320,000 of his superannuation.
She later discovered his personal papers spread on top and the safe combination changed.
A locksmith was called to drill it open and she found only $161,000 was left.
Attwood Marshall Lawyers legal practice director Jeff Garrett has asked NSW Health why an internal investigation is being delayed and advised that Ms Eglington “has not spoken to the police yet but she intends to do so”.
Ms Eglington told the Bulletin: “It didn’t start off about the money. I didn’t realise there was any money missing.
“When I put the complaint in (to NSW Health), it was about them alienating him from his family.
“I found a discharge summary — it said on there he had no family, only friends.
“I wouldn’t have known (he was gone) until he was dead and buried. As things turned out, I was very fortunate. I was able to be with him when he passed away.
“I simply don’t know why a (nurse) would want to be best friends with a 60-year-old lonely, sick man.”
Mr Meagher was admitted to Tweed Hospital in July 2016 with vertebrae damage in a single-vehicle accident after he had a mini-stroke and his car hit a guard rail at Tugun.
He talked about a “bathroom nurse” helping him at home for 12 weeks.
Ms Eglington phoned to arrange a Christmas visit in 2016, only to discover her brother was at Gold Coast University Hospital.
A social worker at that hospital later advised Ms Eglington that she was no longer his enduring guardian with power of attorney.
Mr Meagher was transferred to the Tweed Hospital and in late December had been placed in the ICU after a seizure.
“I was informed I could not speak with him on his birthday, as I was not his next of kin,” Ms Eglington said.
In July, 2017, Attwood Marshall wills and estates lawyer Amanda Smith was with Mr Meagher when he sought to update his will and reappoint his sister.
“I asked Patrick if anyone helped change his documents and he said that he went through a social worker,” Ms Smith said.
“I recall that (the social worker) had contacted our office earlier in the year to arrange a lawyer to attend upon Patrick.
“An appointment was not made as (she) was requesting we defer our fees until Patrick passed away, which we did not agree to.”
When Ms Eglington was cleaning her brother’s house, she found a note that said Mr Meagher’s estate would “go to the nurse’s children if she dies (first)”.
After Ms Eglington lodged a complaint with NSW Health in August 2017, the nurse stopped contacting her brother. He died in late October last year at the Tweed Hospital.
Documents show NSW Health is investigating claims the nurse used her profession to exploit a personal relationship and visited lawyers at Kingscliff to change his will to make herself the sole beneficiary.
Asked about the impact on the family, Ms Eglington paused and held back tears before replying.
“I feel a little bit that I’ve let him down. That I wasn’t able to protect him. Pat wasn’t a worldly sort of person,’’ she said.
“He was a really nice person but he was a real loner. You know when he was a kid he stuttered. Before mum died she said ‘You look after him’.
“When I rang the hospital to wish him happy birthday they wouldn’t put me through. They were there with a birthday cake. The whole thing is wrong.”
The Northern NSW Health Service could not respond for comment by deadline yesterday.
It didn’t start off about the money. I didn’t realise there was any money missing. When I put the complaint in (to NSW Health) it was about them alienating him from his family. I found a discharge summary — it said on there he had no family, only friends. Leonie Eglington