Killer Nurse Victorino Chua Jailed For Minimum Of 35 Years For Hospital Poisoning Spree
Killer Nurse Who Poisoned Vulnerable Patients Is Jailed For Life
Aubrey Allegretti— The Huffington Post UK/ PA
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A nurse who murdered and poisoned patients at a hospital in Stockport will spend at least 35 years in jail, a judge has ruled.
Victorino Chua, self-styled 'angel turned evil', was sentenced after having been found guilty of killing two of those in his care at Stepping Hill Hospital and poisoning 20 others.
The father of two injected insulin into saline bags and ampoules - unwittingly used by other nurses on the ward - leading to a series of insulin overdoses to mainly elderly victims.
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Chua will serve a minimum of 35 years in prison
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Openshaw told the court: "He has committed a dreadful crime and he must now pay the price.
"What he did was inexplicable and irrational.
"It is a striking, sinister and truly wicked feature of the case, he did not personally administer contaminated products directly to most of these patients but having left saline bags contaminated with insulin he did not know which nurse would unwittingly collect them and still less to which patient the nurse would then unwittingly administer the poison.
"It is as if he left it to fate to decide who would be the victim."
His victims' loved ones packed the public gallery above the dock where Chua sat below, with 10 jurors returning to court to see him sent down following a trial stretching over four months.
All sat grim faced in silence as Mr Justice Openshaw recounted the pain, suffering and deaths of his victims and the anguish of their loved ones.
Chua, dressed in a brown coat zipped up to his neck, showed no flicker of emotion, only blinking as his sentence was read out.
The tragic stories of those Chua poisoned and the events that led up to his arrest were revealed as part of the case:
Victorino Chua Death Nurse
Tracey Arden(01 of07)
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Despite having been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Tracey Arden was always said to have "retained her happy personality" in spite of her ailments. The 44-year-old, who worked for a tax watchdog, was cared for in a residential home until hospital admission for a "mild" chest infection - no more serious than on previous periodic attendances.She appeared to be recovering and, though fragile, was reportedly expected to "sail through this storm". She was pronounced dead eight hours after admission. Ms Arden did not receive proscribed anti-biotics due to a blocked cannula, so this was probably flushed through with a saline ampoule contaminated with insulin. Her blood sugar level was later discovered to be "catastrophically low".Her condition deteriorated, lungs filling with fluid and Ms Arden was recorded taking "agonal breaths" of one per minute.She died "drowned in her own secretions", having suffered a hypoglycaemic episode caused "unquestionably" by Chua's insulin poisoning. (credit:Greater Manchester Police/ PA Wire)
Alfred 'Derek' Weaver(02 of07)
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The retired company director was living in residential care before he was admitted to hospital with a chest infection. Medics reported he went from being sat up in bed to "profoundly unwell". Given a saline drip, he "appeared to be in agony, eyes rolling back in his head". Administered a 'fast-acting' dextrose, his blood sugar levels rose but overall his condition deteriorated and he died 10 days later. His blood sample gave a reading of 10,650 picomoles of insulin per litre of blood. The normal level is 90. (credit:Greater Manchester Police/ PA Wire)
Arnold Lancaster(03 of07)
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When he was admitted to ward A1 on July 10, Arnold Lancaster was suffering from terminal, inoperable cancer of the oesophagus. Given saline infusion, his condition, "suddenly deteriorated unaccountably" from a hypoglycemic episode. Mr Lancaster told nurses he knew he was beyond help and was going to die and wanted to do so in comfort and dignity. Given morphine he passed away at 2pm on July 11. His blood sugar reading was found to be, "as low as analysis can measure" and samples showed insulin with "no medical reason for it to be there". Experts said he would have died within weeks from cancer, but insulin poisoning "hastened" his death.Chua was cleared of having murdered Mr Lancaster, but was convicted of attempting to cause him grievous bodily harm with intent by poisoning. (credit:Greater Manchester Police/ PA Wire)
Grant Misell(04 of07)
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Admitted to hospital and left in the sole care of serial-poisoner Chua, Grant Misell was given a saline drip contaminated with insulin. At the handover to dayshift nurses, Chua recorded Mr Misell as "alert" but half an hour the man was found, twitching, deeply unconscious - and at one point stopped breathing.His blood sugar level was "life-threateningly low" and he was transferred to intensive care. He survived but suffered brain damage through lack of oxygen. Lawyers claim he may never recover.Mr Misell will not be able to continue his previous employment as a corporate treasurer and is now faceing a lengthy rehabilitation process. His quality of life, the court heard, has been "greatly diminished". (credit:Greater Manchester Police/PA Wire)
Lillian Baker(05 of07)
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Leaving her sheltered housing accommodation after being admitted to hospital, Lillian Baker was poisoned through a saline drop. Having suffered a bleed, her condition began to worsen. "I thought I was going to die and felt that ill I wanted to die," the 87-year-old from Marple, Cheshire, said. She was found to have "astronomically high" levels of insulin in her blood, but given glucose, she was able to recover. (credit:Greater Manchester Police/PA Wire)
Antony Smith(06 of07)
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Antony Smith was admitted to Stepping Hill Hospital for an alcohol detox.The 47-year-old musician was put on a drip, but his condition deteriorated and he became "unresponsive and clammy".He suffered a second episode, but eventually recovered. His medical state left doctors "perplexed" as it could not be explained by any underlying condition. (credit:Greater Manchester Police/PA Wire)
Beryl Hope(07 of07)
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Beryl Hope was in hospital with oesophagael cancer, and at 7am on July 6, recorded by Chua as being "alert and responsive".17 minutes later, after the day shift nurse had taken over, Ms Hope was found "literally on her death bed" with "profoundly low" blood sugar levels. Given glucose, within a short time, her notes record her, "sitting up and waving!!!" (credit:Greater Manchester Police/ PA Wire)