Nephew had ‘no problem’ helping aunt travel to clinic

The trial of a woman accused of assisting the suicide of her friend has heard the deceased’s nephew had “no problem” helping her travel to a Swiss * clinic.

Bernard Forde Monaghan told the trial his aunt, Bernadette Forde (51), who suffered from a severe form of multiple sclerosis, wanted to end her life on her own terms and nobody could have persuaded her to change her mind.

The witness said he was asked by the accused, Gail O’Rorke to travel with them to Dignitas to help them. He said he presumed he was being asked along to help with heavy lifting such as assisting Ms Forde, who was confined to a wheelchair, off the plane.

Mr Forde Monaghan said he had no problem helping but he did not know when it was going to happen. The trial heard the plan to go to Zurich was later interrupted when the travel agent alerted gardaí.

Ms O'Rorke, who was a friend and carer to the deceased, is accused at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of helping her take her own life by assisting her in obtaining and taking a lethal drug after the failed attempt to travel to Dignitas.

Ms O’Rorke (43), a taxi driver of Kilclare Gardens, Tallaght has pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting the suicide of Ms Forde by helping her to procure and administer a toxic substance between April 20th, 2011 and June 6th, 2011 in Dublin. She also denies attempting to aid and abet the suicide of Ms Forde by means of arranging travel to Zurich, Switzerland for such purpose between March 10th and April 20th, 2011.

She further denies procuring the suicide of Ms Forde between June 4th and June 6th, 2011 by means of making funeral arrangements for Ms Forde in advance of her death.

Mr Forde Monaghan told prosecuting counsel Remy Farrell SC his aunt first brought up Dignitas after the death from cancer of her sister Marcena Forde in 2010. “She wanted to go on her own terms,” he said. “She said she didn’t want people looking after her the way Marcena was looked after. She didn’t want men to be bathing her or dressing her.”

The deceased’s sister, Catherine Campbell, told the court that when Ms Forde told those close to her about her plan to go to Dignitas everyone tried to dissuade her, including Ms O’Rorke.

She said she heard Ms O’Rorke talk to Ms Forde about different options such as care homes. The witness said Ms Forde had asked her to travel to Zurich with her but she refused because of a medical condition which made it inadvisable for her to fly. “I wouldn’t have been willing anyway,” Ms Campbell said. “I respected her position but was never happy with it.”

Another sister, Beatrice Forde Monaghan, said Ms Forde never told her about her plans to travel to Zurich and she found out from Ms Campbell.

Ms Forde Monaghan agreed she was very religious and would not have agreed with Ms Forde’s choice. She added that she was a member of a pro-life group.

“I would disagree with it but I never voiced it to her,” she said. “You couldn’t really talk to Bernadette like that. She had her own opinions. Being her older sister didn’t make any difference.”

The trial also heard evidence from Dr Muna Sabah who had been asked to examine Ms Forde’s cause of death. He said she had died from a lethal dose of pentobarbital, a short acting barbiturate.

*This article was edited on April 30th, 2015.