18 charges against former doctor dropped

THE STATE yesterday withdrew 18 larceny charges against former doctor Paschal Carmody in a case in which he is accused of receiving over €35,000 through falsely pretending to three cancer patients that they would be cured.s

Before yesterday, Mr Carmody (60), of Ballycuggaran, Killaloe, Co Clare, was facing a total of 44 charges. After Judge Carroll Moran at Ennis Circuit Court formally confirmed that the State was withdrawing the 18 larceny charges, he now faces 26 charges.

Mr Carmody was in court yesterday for the brief hearing and the trial is scheduled to take place on June 17th next in Ennis. However, counsel for the State, Stephen Coughlan, told the court that the State had difficulty proceeding on that date. He said that the trial involved 90 State witnesses, but nine of these would be unavailable in June.

Michael Staines, solicitor for Mr Carmody, told the court that counsel had been retained and they were ready to go ahead with the case on June 17th.

Judge Moran said he was unhappy that the State was saying it was now in difficulty as the case was specially fixed. He said: "It has to go on."

Mr Carmody is charged with receiving €35,436 through falsely pretending to three cancer patients that they would be cured by photodynamic therapy at the East Clinic, Killaloe, between January and September 2002.