Latest news with #Midazolam
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Extra.ie
Investigation launched after patient assaulted by A&E paramedic
A paramedic is being investigated by gardaí for allegedly sedating a woman with drugs and sexually assaulting her when she attended an emergency department, can reveal. The man has been accused of assaulting the woman after he had injected her with a drug called midazolam, as well as the powerful painkiller Penthrox. Midazolam is used to induce sleepiness or drowsiness and to relieve anxiety before surgery or other procedures. The alleged perpetrator, a man in his 50s, has been accused of harassing women in five previous cases. One woman working for the HSE told that he bombarded her with texts. She also said he should have been removed years ago. An A&E paramedic is being investigated by gardaí for allegedly sedating a woman with drugs and sexually assaulting her when she attended an emergency department. Pic: Getty Images The man has come to the attention of the National Ambulance Service's (NAS) internal investigators on several occasions over the past decade due to his alleged harassment of women. At least one resulted in the NAS issuing a formal apology for his behaviour to a woman. However, he remained in his job. ascertained that the man has been involved in at least five incidents of misconduct involving female staff. In this latest case, the man is also accused of sexually assaulting this woman after the drugs had taken effect. While the woman was brought to an emergency department in the east of the country, it is not clear whether the alleged sexual assault happened at the hospital or elsewhere. The paramedic, who has since been put on desk duty while the investigation is carried out, has been interviewed by gardaí. The man has been accused of assaulting the woman after he had injected her with a drug called midazolam, as well as the powerful painkiller Penthrox. Pic: File He is still working at the National Ambulance Service. He has also had his phone, laptop and other electronic devices seized for specialist teams to investigate in the hope they might produce evidence which could lead to a prosecution. Two previous incidents occurred approximately a decade ago, when the man worked at the National Emergency Operations Centre. At least three other incidents have been reported to NAS management in the past five years. One woman, who spoke to described how she was bombarded with text messages by the paramedic. Some of these messages were sexually explicit. 'I have no idea how he's still in his job,' she said. Two previous incidents occurred approximately a decade ago, when the man worked at the National Emergency Operations Centre. Pic: Shutterstock 'It just makes no sense to me. He's been removed from dealing with patients, that's one thing, but he's still working at a desk.' Despite the complaints against the man, he continues to work for the National Ambulance Service. However, he is not allowed to deal with patients. Initially, when asked about the criminal complaint, the HSE said it had 'not been informed of any ongoing Garda matters relating to any such complaints'. However, when told that gardaí had officially confirmed that an investigation was ongoing, the HSE statement changed. A spokesman said: 'The NAS management locally are aware of a Garda investigation into an allegation involving a staff member; however, NAS cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. Any allegation of sexual harassment is managed in line with the HSE Dignity at Work policy. Initially, when asked about the criminal complaint, the HSE said it had 'not been informed of any ongoing Garda matters relating to any such complaints'. Pic: Sam Boal/ 'All investigations under the HSE dignity at work policy are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Following on from the complaint to gardaí, the NAS senior management has urged anyone who has suffered sexual harassment or assault to get in touch with them.' A statement sent by NAS management read: 'I would urge anyone who has experienced any form of harassment (sexual or otherwise) or bullying (including cyberbullying) to formally report it to a NAS manager without delay. 'Equally I urge you to be an active bystander and call out such behaviour by others to others, in the event that you witness it. 'In recent times, NAS have demonstrated a strong commitment to holding staff to account for such behaviour, but this can only be done if the behaviour is reported to us in the first instance.' The HSE was asked several times how its internal investigation process works and if it thought it was appropriate that a man accused of sexual harassment and assault should be allowed to remain working while an investigation is conducted. The HSE did not respond to this question. It said in a statement: 'Protecting the safety of employees and service users is a priority concern for the HSE. The dignity at work policy for the public health service sets out how the HSE and other public health service organisations aim to create and maintain an environment where staff are treated with dignity and respect. 'The policy aims to protect employees from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment by other employees and non-employees. The policy provides for all staff and line managers across the HSE to have access to dedicated and specific training, complainants to have access to support contact persons and independent screening of all complaints to ensure natural justice is afforded to both complainants and respondents.' In a statement, gardaí said: 'Gardaí are aware of an allegation… Investigations are ongoing
Gulf Today
21-03-2025
- Gulf Today
US carries out third and fourth executions of week
Two US states executed convicted murderers on Thursday, the third and fourth death sentences carried out in the country this week. In Oklahoma, a man convicted of killing a woman during a home robbery was put to death. And in Florida, another man was executed for the rape and murder of a child and the killing of her grandmother. Wendell Grissom, 56, was sentenced to death in Oklahoma for the 2005 murder of Amber Matthews, 23, who was shot in the head while trying to protect a friend's two young daughters. Grissom was pronounced dead 10 minutes after the execution process began at the state penitentiary in McAlester, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections said in a statement. It said the execution was carried out using a three-drug protocol: Midazolam, which causes sedation, Vecuronium Bromide, which halts respiration, and Potassium Chloride, which stops the heart. Dreu Kopf, who was wounded in a 2005 home invasion robbery, speaks to reporters, with her daughters, Gracie, left, and Rylee, after witnessing the execution of Wendell Grissom. AP According to court documents, Grissom, a truck driver, and another man, Jessie Johns, broke into the home of Dreu Kopf, a friend of Matthews, with the intention of committing a robbery. Grissom shot and wounded Kopf and killed Matthews while she was hiding in a bedroom in an attempt to shield Kopf's two children. Johns was sentenced to life in prison without parole. In Florida, Edward James, 63, was also executed by lethal injection, in his case for the 1993 rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, Toni Neuner, and the murder of Betty Dick, 58, her grandmother. The Florida Department of Corrections announced that James was executed at 8:15 pm Thursday (0015 GMT Friday) at the Florida State Prison in Raiford, outside Jacksonville in the north of the state. Previous executions Earlier, on Tuesday this week, Jessie Hoffman, 46, was put to death by nitrogen gas in the southern state of Louisiana. Hoffman, who was convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of Molly Elliott, a 28-year-old advertising executive, was the first person executed in Louisiana in 15 years. Only one other US state, Alabama, has carried out executions by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a facemask, causing the prisoner to suffocate. The method has been denounced by UN experts as cruel and inhumane. Aaron Gunches, 53, who was sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of Ted Price, his girlfriend's ex-husband, was executed in Arizona on Wednesday. Karen Price sister of Ted Price (pictured off the left) speaks about the execution of Aaron Brian Gunches at the Arizona State Prison. AP Gunches had abandoned legal efforts to halt his execution. The vast majority of US executions since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976 have been performed using lethal injection, although South Carolina executed a man by firing squad on March 7. There have already been ten executions in the United States this year, following 25 last year. The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place. President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in office called for an expansion of its use "for the vilest crimes." Agence France-Presse
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Oklahoma man put to death in third execution in US this week
An Oklahoma man convicted of killing a woman during a home robbery was put to death by lethal injection on Thursday, the third execution in the United States this week. Wendell Grissom, 56, was sentenced to death for the 2005 murder of Amber Matthews, 23, who was shot in the head while trying to protect a friend's two young daughters. Grissom was pronounced dead 10 minutes after the execution process began at the state penitentiary in McAlester, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections said in a statement. It said the execution was carried out using a three-drug protocol: Midazolam, which causes sedation, Vecuronium Bromide, which halts respiration, and Potassium Chloride, which stops the heart. According to court documents, Grissom, a truck driver, and another man, Jessie Johns, broke into the home of Dreu Kopf, a friend of Matthews, with the intention of committing a robbery. Grissom shot and wounded Kopf and killed Matthews while she was hiding in a bedroom in an attempt to shield Kopf's two children. Johns was sentenced to life in prison without parole. There have been three executions in the United States this week and a fourth -- in Florida -- is scheduled for later on Thursday. Edward James, 63, is to be executed by lethal injection for the 1993 rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, Toni Neuner, and the murder of Betty Dick, 58, her grandmother. Jessie Hoffman, 46, was put to death by nitrogen gas in the southern state of Louisiana on Tuesday. Hoffman, who was convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of Molly Elliott, a 28-year-old advertising executive, was the first person executed in Louisiana in 15 years. Only one other US state, Alabama, has carried out executions by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a facemask, causing the prisoner to suffocate. The method has been denounced by UN experts as cruel and inhumane. Aaron Gunches, 53, who was sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of Ted Price, his girlfriend's ex-husband, was executed in Arizona on Wednesday. Gunches had abandoned legal efforts to halt his execution. The vast majority of US executions since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976 have been performed using lethal injection, although South Carolina executed a man by firing squad on March 7. There have been nine executions in the United States this year, following 25 last year. The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others -- California, Oregon and Pennsylvania -- have moratoriums in place. President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in office called for an expansion of its use "for the vilest crimes." cl/sms
