THE CASE against a former Co Clare GP accused of obtaining money under false pretences from the families of two terminally ill cancer patients is costing millions of euro in legal fees, a judge was told yesterday.
Paschal Carmody (63) of Ballycuggeran, Killaloe is facing nine charges of obtaining €16,554 by deception or under false pretences from the families of two terminally ill patients at the East Clinic in Killaloe in 2001-02.
At Limerick Circuit Court yesterday, Mr Carmody told Judge Carroll Moran he had intended to have the company of Pierce Glynn solicitors, London represent him.
However, he said the legal firm had indicated on Monday that they would be unable to come on record because of the amount of material to be considered and the complexity of the case, which has been ongoing for 12 years, costing millions of euro in legal fees.
Mr Carmody told Judge Moran he wished to apply to represent himself as a lay litigant, but the judge said he would prefer him to have a solicitor and barrister to represent him for his own sake.
Mr Carmody said enormous costs had been incurred by both sides in the case “running to several million euro” and that there was a limit to his own resources. Judge Moran asked him if he had considered retaining the services of a local firm, to which he replied he was “giving it consideration”.
Judge Moran warned him that the trial was just five weeks away and said giving it consideration was “not enough”.
He asked the accused if he wished to apply for free legal aid, and said he would have to prepare a statement of means and assets. Mr Carmody replied that he did not intend to apply for legal aid at present.
The judge adjourned the case until Friday and warned Mr Carmody to have a solicitor and barrister in court, as time was running out for his trial which is listed for November 27th.
Mr Carmody said he would “endeavour to do his best”, to which Judge Moran replied: “I hope your best is good enough.”
In the case, seven of the nine charges faced by Mr Carmody relate to the late 15-year-old Co Wexford teenager Conor O’Sullivan, who died from an aggressive form of bone cancer in November 2002.
The remaining two relate to John Sheridan (58) of Kells, Co Kilkenny, who died from liver cancer in November 2002.