GP denies charges over deaths

General practitioner Rejendra Kokkarne is accused of watching sport on the internet and using his office computer for personal internet banking while prescribing 10 times the normal dose of morphine sulphate to Beryl Barber, 78, and Eric Watson, 86.

But taking the stand at Leeds Crown Court, Kokkarne, of Fulmar Way, said he prescribed morphine as other pain medications were unsuitable.

The 37-year-old said a nurse at the Charlton Centre, Batley Field Hill, where the two patients were residents, said the patients were in severe pain and unable to take medication orally due to their poor health.

He said: “I had to decide on a painkiller that would be appropriate for pain relief as well as ease of administration.”

Mrs Barber had painful ulcers on her foot and elsewhere, while Mr Watson had a urinary tract infection and mouth ulcers, the court heard.

Both died of morphine poisoning. The jury was told that the wrong type of morphine was prescribed by Kokkarne, who said he was ‘shocked and appalled’ when he realised his error.

He said: “I have had to live with that, I’ll have to live with the thought that something I wanted to do good for somebody has led to somebody’s death, and that’s a very hard thing to take.”

The court also heard details of Kokkarne’s computer use at the Victoria Centre in Dewsbury, where he worked as a GP.

Records from 1st February 2008, the day he prescribed the fatal doses or morphine, showed him following the score of a cricket match and checking his personal email account.

Kokkarne said his internet use that day, in retrospect, was ‘embarrassing’ but defended his use of the internet between seeing patients.

He said browsing the web for a few minutes helped to refresh his mind ahead of his next patient, describing the surfing as a ‘minibreak’.

He denied that his going online would have distracted him or interfered with his work.

Under cross-examination by Robert Smith QC, Kokkarne admitted he had committed an error in failing to obtain a proper history of the patients.

But when asked if he wasn’t paying attention, he said: “It is absolutely wrong to say I was not paying attention on that day.”

Kokkarne denies manslaughter by gross negligence of Mrs Barker on 3rd February 2008 and Mr Watson on 4th February that year.

The trial continues.