A nursing home worker sedated two elderly women with severe dementia to make them sleep through the night, a court has heard. Farren John Wallace, 56, faced Townsville Magistrates Court, pleading guilty to two counts of unlawful drink spiking. The court heard that Wallace was an assistant in nursing (AIN) at the Eventide aged care facility in Charters Towers in February, 2015, when he slipped prescription medication Mersyndol into warm drinks and gave them to two women. Police prosecutor Darryn Casson said both incidents took place on the same night with Wallace sedating two women, aged 95 and 93, both with severe dementia. Mr Casson said both women often wandered the facility at night due to their dementia and Wallace gave them each a warm drink with the medication mixed into it. “The defendant at the time had made certain admissions to another AIN working at the ward at the time and said ‘she should fall asleep soon after she drinks that’,” he said. “The witness then queried what substance was placed in her drink and the defendant stated it was Mersyndol. “It was in a yellow capsule, he stated that he broke it open and tipped it in.” Mr Casson said in relation to the second woman, a witness saw Wallace place something in her drink. “At the time the defendant stated to the witness AIN, ‘I am sick of having a s*** night and I just want to have a quiet night’,” he said. “The defendant then stated to the witness, ‘this is between us, don’t say anything’.” Mr Casson said each woman fell asleep in their chair shortly after being drugged. The court heard one woman’s doctor said she was already on the maximum dosage of codeine, which is contained in Mersyndol, and any extra dosage would have placed her at risk of liver toxicity. Defence barrister Harvey Walters said Wallace was very apologetic for his actions and had lost his career. “He has worked at the nursing home on and off for 20 years … he’ll never work there again,” he said. Magistrate Ross Mack said the offence was committed to make Wallace’s night easier, without an consideration to the effects of the drug aside from sedation. “Ladies such as the two victims are placed in hospitals such as Eventide so they can be safe and cared for in their twilight years. “Families entrust their elderly family members to these institutions to be cared for in a dignified way. “That trust was in this case breached in the most selfish way and you stand condemned for that breach of trust and your cavalier attitude to the possible effects the drug may have had on the victims.” Wallace was sentenced to six months imprisonment, fully suspended.
