The Central Criminal Court has heard a doctor gave a 'toxic level' of a sedative to her daughter before overdosing herself.

58 year old Bernadette Scully of Emvale, Bachelors Walk in Tullamore, Co Offaly denies the manslaughter of her daughter Emily by administering an excessive quantity of medicine.

Stephanie Grogan reports.

58 year old Bernadette Scully of Emvale, Bachelors Walk has denied the manslaughter of her daughter Emily by administering an excessive quantity of the sedative chloral hydrate.

In opening the case the Prosecution barrister, Tara Burns, said 11 year old Emily Barut had profound physical and mental disabilities and was in pain in the weeks before her death following a surgical operation.

As a result Emily hadn’t been sleeping well and by the 15th of September 2012 her mother Bernadette Scully, who was also her doctor, was exhausted.

The court heard it would be alleged that on the day of Emily’s death – Bernadette Scully’s partner went to the chemist for her to get a prescription for anti-depressants and sedatives.

He let Ms Scully sleep as he knew she was tired and at around nine that night he went to check on 11 year old Emily and found her cold.

He also found Ms Scully unresponsive – it appeared she had taken an overdose.

A post mortem showed an excessive amount of the sedative, chloral hydrate, in Emily’s blood.

The jurors were told they would hear Bernadette Scully told gardai she had administered the sedative to Emily at 2am and 6am as her daughter was upset and in pain.

At 11am Emily had a seizure and she administered the drug again.

The Prosecution said this is an extremely sad case and it wanted to make it clear that it isn’t in doubt that the accused Bernadette Scully loved her daughter and cared for her to the highest level.

What this case is about – the Prosecution alleged – was that on a specific day chloral hydrate was administered within a toxic level.