‘Outrageous’ charges cost Carmody €3m to defend

The last remaining criminal charges against former Killaloe doctor, Paschal Carmody, was withdrawn this week putting an end to a case Mr Carmody claims has cost him up to €3 million to defend.

At the brief hearing on Wednesday, State Prosecutor for Clare Stephen Coughlan (BL) said, “I’m sure Mr Carmody will be pleased and relieved to hear that the DPP has directed me to enter a nolle prosequi in relation to all outstanding matters against him”.

Speaking to The Clare Champion following the hearing, Mr Carmody (65) said that after 12 years, over 100 days in court, three full trials having 46 charges levelled against him with none proven, he finally felt “totally vindicated”.

The former doctor of Ballycuggeran, Killaloe maintains his work was not wrong in any way. “I feel now I can move forward and get on with my life,” he said.

He added it has cost millions of his personal wealth to defend his name and he indicated that money he made in the sale of his home at Tinarana House was used to fund his defence.

“Only for we had property to sell. We sold it but that’s not what… To spend it defending your innocence is very hurtful. It cost me between €2m and €3m on direct expenses, leaving out the costs to myself personally that were substantial, both in expenditure and loss of income. It has been enormous costs to think that now today I have been vindicated by entering a nolle prosequi to say there’s no case against me,” he said.

The Killaloe resident said up to now he had not been able to pursue an appeal against The Medical Council’s Fitness to Practice Committee’s decision to strike him off the medical register.

“As of today (Wednesday) we couldn’t pursue anything, this was a very serious problem that has been with us all these years. I feel I was wronged to be struck off. There is a chance to appeal it. We have nothing specific yet but now that this day is over we are now free to,” he said.

Mr Carmody deemed the charges against him, in which it was alleged he promised to cure patients of cancer, as “outrageous”, “vile” and “contemptuous”.

“There was this question of promising a cure that was outrageous. It was contemptuous and it was the most vile add-on to the charges imaginable. No doctor and no intelligible person would say ‘I can cure cancer’. Indeed very few doctors will say they can cure anything,” he said.

He added that he regrets nothing about what he did in his practice in Killaloe. “I have no regrets about what I have done. I regret nothing,” he said.

He also indicated he would be lodging applications for costs in respect of all the trials taken against him, but with differing opinions as to whether they would be successful or not.

“Opinions vary. On the face of it, I would expect that I would be entitled to apply for my costs from the three trials. We’re entitled to make an application and dream on after that,” he said.

Costs in respect of the collapse of the second trial are currently before the courts but Mr Carmody said the costs of defending the first trial were substantial and he has been told he can “go back and visit that” as well as the last trial on which he was acquitted by a jury on all charges.

Asked if he would celebrate in light of the end of the criminal charges, Mr Carmody said, “I celebrate every evening”.