A PROFESSOR told a court yesterday that injections given to a patient by his doctor killed him.
Dr Robert Forrest said morphine administered to cancer sufferer Harry Gittins by his GP Howard Martin was responsible for his death.
The professor was giving evidence in the trial of Dr Martin who is accused of murdering Mr Gittings, 74, of Newton Aycliffe; Stanley Weldon, 74, of Coundon Grange; and Frank Moss, 59, of Eldon, near Bishop Auckland.
He said, in his opinion, the morphine doses were too much.
When asked by defence barrister Robert Arlidge QC if it was reasonable to conclude more doses should have been administered if Mr Gittins was in pain, Prof Forrest replied: "More has two meanings. If you say to give him further relief, I would agree an appropriate dose, but if you're saying more as in increase the dose, then I would want to express major reservations."
Mr Arlidge said: "You expressed the view that morphine toxicity was in fact responsible for his death."
Professor Forrest replied: "I hold that view".
Dr Martin, 71, of North Wales, denies murdering the men, all his patients, while he was with the Jubilee Medical Group, in Newton Aycliffe.
The trial continues.
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