Carer tried to kill dying patient, 73, court told

Water ‘poured in her mouth’

A NURSING assistant tried to kill a dying patient by pouring liquid into her mouth, a court heard yesterday.

Calum Knox, 30, is alleged to have put a bowl of liquid to the mouth of Susan Reid, 73, at Crosshouse Hospital near Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.

Colleague Sianise Russell, 27, told the High Court in Paisley she was ‘shocked’ when she saw how Knox was treating the dying woman in ward 4D on July 18 this year.

Knox is accused of attempting to kill Mrs Reid and another 81-yearold patient, Ann Reid. The indictment states that both women have since died.

Knox, of Ayr, faces a separate charge of neglecting each of the women and three other elderly patients. He denies all charges.

Prosecutors claim he exposed both Susan Reid and Ann Reid to the ‘risk of aspiration’. It is alleged he placed Ann on her back and syringed liquid into her mouth.

He is also said to have removed Susan’s oxygen mask five days later and poured liquid into her mouth.

It is claimed that being a care worker, he failed in a number of aspects, including leaving the ward for ‘excessive periods of time’ as well as falsifying records and lying to senior staff in respect of his care of patients.

In evidence, Miss Russell told the court that she and colleague Mary Bolan had been tasked with providing care for Mrs Reid who was unable to eat or drink and was wearing an oxygen mask.

Miss Russell said oral care was performed by using water from a bowl to swab around the patient’s mouth. The witness claimed this was to be done every two hours and logged.

She claimed she was told by staff nurse Grace Cairns to ‘keep an eye’ on assistant nurse Knox on the afternoon of the incident involving Susan Reid.

Miss Russell alleged that she saw Knox enter Mrs Reid’s room. The door was shut and the curtain covering windows on the door was pulled down to the floor.

Miss Russell stated she looked through a small gap in the door to see Knox beside Mrs Reid, who was lying at an angle that the witness alleged she had not been left in.

Mr Cameron asked what Knox was doing. Miss Russell replied: ‘Pouring the bowl into Susan’s mouth.’

She said she was ‘shocked’ at what she saw and claimed Knox ‘jolted’ when she went into the room.

Miss Russell alleged that Susan went red, made a loud noise and was ‘choking’. She said Knox was told to leave the room after saying: ‘I was doing oral care, she wasn’t like that two minutes ago.’

Lorenzo Alonzi, defending, suggested there were people on the ward that thought Knox was ‘stepping on toes’.

Miss Russell claimed this was not done to her but agreed there were complaints about the way he worked. Knox faces seven further charges of assaulting OAPs. The trial before Judge Fiona Tait continues.

‘Victim went red and was choking’