Seven more people who worked at Muckmore Mental Health Hospital, four women and three men, were charged on Tuesday with the maltreatment of patients.
As the charges have been brought by way of indictable summons, none of the defendants were obliged to attend Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena but they have been formally charged.
All of the defendants are charged with false imprisonment of mental health patients, with wilful neglect or ill treatment of the complainants and falsifying entries on a medical health document, all alleged to have been committed between 25 April and 3 September 2017.
The defendants are:
- Sean Francis Black, 63, Moylena Meadows in Antrim - 26 charges, seven complainants;
- Sean Bryce, 47, Alderpark in Antrim - 20 charges, four complainants;
- Claire Dobbin, 48, Moylena Grove, Antrim - six charges, four complainants;
- Leanne Hall, 33, Featherbed Glade, enniskillen - 26 charges, five complainants;
- Tara Lally, 30, Chestnutt Meadows, Ballynahinch - 17 charges, six complainants;
- Patrick McAllister, 29, Harmoney Park, Drumaness - 34 charges, seven complainants and
- Elizabeth McKevitt, 41, Millhouse Avenue, Antrim - nine charges, six complainants.
The charges follow a lengthy PSNI investigation into allegations of abuse by staff at the mental health facility on the outskirts of Antrim. Eight other defendants are currently before the Crown Court awaiting trial.
The case against each of the seven latest defendants had been listed for a Preliminary Enquiry on Tuesday which would have seen their cases elevated to the Crown Court too but defence lawyers asked for that to be adjourned.
A solicitor confirmed to District Judge Nigel Broderick the prosecution has relies mainly on CCTV evidence and while the defence legal teams have been served with more than 5,000 pages of statements and exhibits, the footage has not yet been made available.
Granting legal aid for each of the defendants, District Judge Nigel Broderick adjourned the case to 3 December for review