GP 'trusted' care home murders accused Rachel Baker

Dr Hughes looked after Parkfields' residents

A GP has told a court that he had trusted a Somerset care home manager who is accused of murdering two of her elderly residents.

Dr Richard Hughes, of Glastonbury Surgery, said he believed Rachel Baker, 44, when she said more medication was needed at Parkfields home, Butleigh.

The prosecution at Bristol Crown Court allege Mrs Baker faked prescriptions to feed her drug addiction.

She has denied killing Frances Hay, 85, and Lucy Cox, 97.

Defence barrister Richard Smith QC asked Dr Hughes what checks there were in place to ensure medication was not oversubscribed.

He replied: "If you have what you consider to be good care staff and they tell you something, you believe them.

"If they tell you they are running out of medication then you take that at face value."

Illegal drugs

The prosecution allege that Mrs Baker was addicted to diamorphine at the time of the deaths in 2006 and murdered the women to get their prescriptions.

Mrs Baker, of Glastonbury, has already admitted eight charges of illegally possessing controlled drugs.

Earlier in the trial, Mr Smith had questioned care assistant Kathy Slade who had told the court she had overheard Mrs Baker say "shall we end it all now?" to Mrs Hay.

Kathy Slade said she heard the conversation through a bedroom door

The prosecution allege that this was a suggestion that Mrs Baker to carry out a "mercy killing" on Mrs Hay, who died two days later.

Mr Smith asked Ms Slade in court why she had not reported the November 2006 conversation until May 2007.

"The words just went out of my head," she said.

Mr Smith suggested that Ms Slade, who was often in tears through the cross-examination, had invented the conversation.

She said: "No, I did hear that."

The case continues.