AN AUXILIARY nurse has been accused of trying to kill a second patient at Bolton General Hospital.

Shaun Philip Darrock, aged 21, had new charges put to him when he reappeared before Bolton Magistrates.

Darrock, of Gilnow Gardens, Bolton, was already in custody accused of the attempted murder on January 28 of Mr William Winnard, aged 61, who is paralysed from the waist down, and ill treating patient Mr George Hurst, aged 86, on February 5.

Yesterday he was further charged with attempting to murder Mr James Taylor between November 26 and December 2 1995 and causing actual bodily harm to another patient Mr Vernon Leech between January 28 and February 11 this year. Mr John Collier, prosecuting, said it was a 'high profile case' and arrangements were being made for a stipendiary magistrate to conduct the committal proceedings to decide if the case should go to the Crown Court.

Mr Michael Garstang, defending, has successfully asked for reporting restrictions to be lifted and asked for the committal proceedings to take the form of prosecution witnesses being called to give evidence.

Normally prosecution witness statements are handed into the court for the magistrates to decide if there is a case to answer.

Mr Garstang said that previous bail applications to the magistrates and a high court judge had been refused.

He said that some witnesses had already come forward for the defence but he would still like to hear from anyone regarding the treatment of patients on the J1 and J2 wards at the General Hospital to contact him.

He can be reached at his office on Bradshawgate, Bolton, or by telephone on 01204 531118. Darrock was further remanded in custody for committal proceedings to the Crown Court on June 5 which could last several days.

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