Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/449474
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 21 JANUARY 2015 8 News Sheehan compilation continues, bail curfew shortened The compilation of evidence against Paul Sheehan, former driver of then Minister Manuel Mallia, continued yesterday, with several police officers testifying MATTHEW AGIUS A court has upheld a request to shorten Paul Sheehan's curfew. "It's not as if this was a hold-up," said Sheehan's lawyer, Edward Gatt, in justification of the request, without a hint of irony. The prose- cution did not object, however, and the court acceded to the request to shorten his curfew, to start at 11:30pm, amending the accused's bail conditions accordingly. The compilation of evidence against Sheehan, who was involved in a shooting incident when he was the driver of dismissed Minister Manuel Mallia, continued yester- day with several police officers telling the court the now-familiar story from their perspective. Police Sergeant Sandro Mangion told Magistrate Aaron Bugeja how on the night of the incident he was tasked with assisting a duty officer in Gzira "as there was a shooting and there were police involved". He said Superintendent Alexan- dra Mamo had called him and told him to go to the tunnels near the skate park and ordered him to en- sure that the cars are not moved. When he arrived at the scene, he saw the ministerial Mercedes with a broken wing mirror and the Vauxhall Insignia which had been chased by Sheehan, on the low loader. He protested with the police at the scene, saying he had an order from Superintendent Mamo to pre- serve the crime scene, but they an- swered that they had an order from the Commissioner of Police to load the vehicle. Lawyer James D'Agostino, ap- pearing in parte civile, asked the witness what Sheehan was wear- ing, to which the witness said that he was in civilian clothing, not in uniform. "At no point was he hand- cuffed or placed in the police car," said Mangion. The accused's lawyer asked him several times whether he had noted any damage other than the mirror, but the witness said he had not. "If I were to tell you that there was €3,000 in damage to that car, did you see anything of the sort?" The witness replied that he had not. He said he had seen the other driver, Stephen Morrison Smith, on a bench at the Msida police station. Probed by the prosecution, the wit- ness said that Smith did not appear intoxicated. "He was quiet but I did not speak to him as there was an in- vestigation underway." 'A refusal is an admission' This version contrasted with that given by the second witness of the day, Police Sergeant David Sant, who testified that when officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit had brought Smith into the station, he observed that Smith was under the influence of alcohol. "He had red, bleary eyes and was stammering. He was taken to St Julian's police station for a breatha- lyzer test but he refused to take it." Sant informed Smith that "a refusal is an admission," but he continued to refuse and signed a form to that effect. Some two to three hours later, Smith changed his mind and took the test, which showed him being three times over the legal driving limit. Sant exhibited a photocopy of the test result in court. D'Agostino asked him what state Smith was in when he met him at the station. The witness said Smith was upright and spoke to them in both Maltese and English. Gatt interjected saying that Smith had told the court that he did not speak Maltese, but the witness begged to differ. "On the contrary, Smith told me that he understood Maltese and chatted with me," said Sant. Gatt showed him a copy of his report in which he had noted the time when Smith took the test. It appeared that four hours after the incident, Smith "was still three times over the limit". Another witness, PC Clyde Agius, testified that he had only noted the bullet holes in the car and could not recall noticing any scrapes along the side of the ministerial car. He said that he had seen the weapon in the central console of the ministe- rial car and not in the boot, as the court had been told during previ- ous sittings. The compilation of evidence will continue on 6 February. Internal investigation into death of patient in Mater Dei 'corridor ward' MARTINA BORG SENIOR Mater Dei officials yester- day described as "exaggerated" accu- sations made by shadow health min- ister Claudette Buttigieg about an elderly woman's death in hospital. Buttigieg said the elderly woman died in the corridors of Mater Dei af- ter the necessary aid and equipment could not be transported to her bed before it was too late. This was de- nied by the hospital officials. "This is a serious case that should in no way be ignored. Health Par- liamentary Secretary Chris Fearne should give a clear explanation of this case," Buttigieg told a news confer- ence, pointing out that the medical staff of the hospital did their utmost to save the woman, but that there was nothing else that could be done since the corridors are ill equipped to deal with extreme situations. "There are no CPR trolleys, defi- brillators or suction systems which could all have saved the woman's life," she said. But Mater Dei clinical director Joe Zarb Adami and CEO Ivan Falzon claimed the accusations were exag- gerated and added that an internal investigation was already under way into the death of the patient. The two were speaking at a press conference called at 6pm. Parlia- mentary secretary for health Chris Fearne was not present. "We join the 83-year-old woman's family in mourning the loss of the patient, but her death was in no way a result of the absence of the neces- sary equipment," Falzon said. "The CPR equipment was avail- able, and it was used on the patient, but the patient unfortunately died nonetheless," he said. "The patient lost her life less than an hour after the call for CPR was made." When asked about the quality of service given in the corridors com- pared to the wards, Falzon said that the only difference between the two were details like televisions and how comfortable patients are. The corri- dors, however, have all the necessary equipment, he said. "Although the distance between the beds is much smaller than we would like, it is not small enough to hinder the movement of equipment from one bed to another," Falzon added. Asked about the issue of cleanli- ness and about whether patients are constrained to clean themselves us- ing wipes, Falzon said that the situ- ation is indeed uncomfortable, but Mater Dei is doing its best to rectify the situation and increase bed spaces in the facility. "Among the changes planned are agreements with private companies, and agreements with the ministry of the family and social solidarity and secretariat for the elderly, to move as many patients from Mater Dei to other facilities," Zarb Adami said. Zarb Adami said the equipment necessary for patients was available in the corridors, which are being considered as "extensions to hospital wards". He also claimed there was enough space for hospital staff inside corri- dors to assist patients. "Cleanliness is an aspect that must be improved. It is not ideal, but not as bad as it has been depicted," Zarb Adami said, saying corridor 'wards' were only different from other wards because of the lack of comforts such as TVs. In her news conference Buttigieg said that the overcrowding situa- tion is so bad that some of the public corridors, specifically the ones lead- ing from the Emergency ward to the Medical Imaging Ward are full of occupied beds, with some beds even being placed in the children's casu- alty area. Buttigieg also spoke of the dignity of patients, which, she says, is no longer existent since patients are forced to sleep in public corridors. "Some patients haven't had a proper bath during their stay, they are being forced to resort to using wipes, which is in no way hygienic or respectful of the dignity everyone deserves." PC Paul Sheehan, former ministerial driver, at the Sta Venera tunnels on the night of the shooting