I made decision to tell gardaí about surgeon

‘Campaign’ against doctor in indecent assault case

AN alleged victim of a retired surgeon accused of indecently assaulting hospital patients has told a jury that it was his own decision to make a complaint to gardaí.

The witness’s evidence came as a defence lawyer for surgeon Michael Shine, 85, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that there had been a campaign against Dr Shine, including advertisements on local radio.

Dr Shine denies eight charges of committing indecent assault at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and at his private clinic, both in Drogheda, Co. Louth, between 1964 and 1991.

On Tuesday, the first complainant, now aged 65, testified that while attending the hospital in 1964 with a chest cyst, Dr Denies charges: Michael Shine Shine massaged his testicles.

Yesterday, Hugh Hartnett SC, defending, put it to the witness that there was a campaign, run by a woman called Bernadette Sullivan, against Dr Shine.

He said there had been a lot of publicity around this campaign including advertisements and talks on local radio asking anybody who had been treated by Dr Shine to come forward to make complaints.

The witness agreed he telephoned a number provided by local radio and later met with the organisation run by Ms Sullivan. Mr Hartnett submitted that the organisation arranged for the witness to meet gardaí and to get a solicitor to arrange for actions for damages against the hospital. The witness agreed that a civil claim was pursued.

Mr Hartnett asked the witness if he was advised during an advocacy meeting on how best to present his case. The witness said he could not answer this and that ‘it was just an ordinary meeting’.

He told Bernard Condon SC, prosecuting, that he met the Dignity For Patients group four or five times before going to gardaí. He said he was not under any influence to go to gardaí, adding: ‘It was my decision.’

He said he received €70,000 from the hospital in a civil case with no admission of liability. He said his case was settled with the hospital about five years ago and that he had never received any compensation from the defendant. He said he had no financial benefit from being in court yesterday, and had at one stage considered withdrawing his complaint to gardaí.

Mr Hartnett put it to him that his reason for considering withdrawing his complaint was that there was no basis for it. The witness said this was wrong.

Mr Shine, of Wellington Road, Dublin 4, is accused of committing indecent assault at the hospital on unknown dates between 1964 and 1965, 1970 and 1972, 1975 and 1976 and, on an unknown date between 1988 and 1991. He is also accused of indecently assaulting a male on two occasions in a clinic in Drogheda on unknown dates in 1973 and 1974, and in 1975.

The trial, before a jury and Judge Cormac Quinn, is expected to run for two weeks.