Vic; Court probes policeman s death after narcotic drugs

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2000
Vic; Court probes policeman s death after narcotic drugs

MELBOURNE, Feb 15 AAP - A policeman suffering acute back pain died after taking increased
dosages of narcotic painkillers prescribed to him by various doctors in only a few days,
a court was told today.

The Melbourne Coroner's Court began its inquiry today into the death of Steven Wayne
Mumford of Gisborne, north-west of Melbourne, in 1998.

The court heard that Mr Mumford, 34, developed severe back pain after seriously injuring
his ankle in 1994.

Although he received medical treatment for the back pain for several years, it became
more acute and he became severely depressed, his wife, Jennifer Mumford, said in her statement
to the court.

She said not long before he died her husband may have been taking up to 100 headache
tablets (Panadol) a fortnight.

The court heard that Mr Mumford sought medical help for his worsening back pain at
the Gisborne Medical Centre over several days, before he died overnight on March 29-30
in 1998.

Ms Mumford said her husband was treated on Friday, March 27, by Dr Pam Cooke, and was
given two narcotic analgesics - a pethidine injection and MS Contin tablets - as well
as sleeping pills (Valium).

He followed doctor's orders to return to the medical centre the next day when he saw
Dr Natasha Ginch.

After telling the doctor that the MS Contin tablets - a slow-release pain-killer -
did not appear to be working, Mr Mumford was given another pethidine injection and and
a morphine hydrochloride mixture to boost the MS Contin tablets.

Later on Saturday, Ms Mumford said her husband was treated by another physician, Dr
Rod Guy, and given another Pethidine injection and Temazapam capsules.

He was still taking the Valium and MS Contin.

On Sunday, he appeared "tired and dopey" and again went to the Medical Centre, this
time to see Dr Stephen Newton.

Mr Mumford was given a stronger pethidine injection and stronger MS Contin tablets.

He was also prescribed Proladone suppositories and Maxolon tablets.

Ms Mumford said she and her husband discussed him going to hospital when they returned
home. But he said he felt better at home and would be more depressed in hospital.

Mr Mumford had been having difficulty sleeping and was "really dopey" but appeared
to be resting in bed that night.

But Ms Mumford said he "didn't seem to look right" and there was fluid on the bed,
under his face and hands.

When an ambulance was called and Mr Mumford was checked, Ms Mumford was told her husband
had died.

Ms Mumford said she had been concerned about the amount of medication that her husband
had been taking and that he was administering it to himself, but did not believe he was
deliberately taking too much.

She told the court, however, that her husband did sometimes take extra sleeping tablets.

Ms Mumford said he had discussed going to hospital with Dr Ginch, but Dr Ginch had
indicated that she may not be able to secure a bed for Steven.

Dr Cooke told the court that she had given Mr Mumford what she considered the appropriate
drugs to relieve acute pain and that she trusted him to administer the drugs to himself
properly.

She said the administration of narcotic analgesics did not necessarily have to be done
in a hospital.

Dr Ginch said she could not recall telling Mr Mumford that she could not secure a hospital
bed for him.

Dr Ginch told the court that Mr Mumford was "quite definite" that he did not wish to
go to hospital and she did not want to override his autonomy.

The hearing before coroner Jacinta Heffey continues tomorrow.

AAP tsc/ra/br

KEYWORD: MUMFORD

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