Bernadette Scully has been found not guilty of her daughter Emily’s manslaughter, in a unanimous vote by a Central Criminal Court jury.

 

The 58-year-old doctor, from Co. Offaly, was cleared of the charge after a four-hour deliberation by a jury of 12; seven women and five men.

 

Emily Barut, 11, died on September 15, 2012, after receiving a ‘deadly’ amount of choral hydrate from her GP mother.

 

 

The little girl suffered with a number of severe disabilities, including microcephaly and epilepsy, and Ms Scully was her primary carer.

 

When a post-mortem revealed that Emily had died of choral hydrate intoxication, Ms Scully was charged with manslaughter.

 

The 58-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges, and saw them dropped following this week’s unanimous jury verdict.

 

 

During the verdict, State Pathologist Marie Cassidy said that Emily had suffered a seizure up to eight hours before her death, and added that this – plus any of her other illnesses – could have contributed to her passing.

 

Throughout the trial, the defence reiterated that Emily had always been ‘very well cared for at home’.

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