A psychiatrist hosted a three-day drug binge which ended in the death of a guest. He specialises in addiction therapy

Based on other reports

Psychiatrist Clint Tatchell has denied wrong doing after a man died in his flat following a two-day drug and alcohol binge. David Steel was found dead at Dr Tatchell's home in Spiers Wharf, Glasgow, at 4am on September 21, 2003. Mr Steel had taken a lethal cocktail of drugs including ecstasy, cocaine, heroin and diazepam and died of an ecstasy overdose, the London hearing was told.

Dr Tatchell, who worked for NHS Greater Glasgow as an addiction psychiatrist between May 2003 and July 2004, is also accused of drunkenly writing a prescription at the same party for his flatmate Brian Hoolichan. He denies impairment by reason of misconduct.

Aparrently the psychiatrist tried to mislead police about the circumstances surrounding the matter as well.

More information is available in this report from the Scotsman:

A psychiatrist specialising in addiction therapy hosted a three-day drink and drugs binge which ended in a guest fatally overdosing on ecstasy, a hearing was told yesterday.

Dr Clint Tatchell discovered David Steel dead in his living room and then hurriedly cleaned his Glasgow flat before police arrived, it is claimed.

Detectives later discovered Mr Steel had also taken 19 diazepam tablets as well as ecstasy, heroin and cocaine during the party.

Tatchell, who worked for Greater Glasgow NHS, had allegedly prescribed sedative diazepam pills for his flatmate Brian Hoolichan while drunk.

The General Medical Council heard he then lied to officers by claiming he had kept the drugs in an unlocked cabinet - only to insist it was locked three months later. Tatchell tried to cover his tracks by fabricating medical notes to make it seem he prescribed diazepam to Mr Hoolichan during a genuine appointment, it is claimed.

Tatchell, of Port Dundas, Glasgow, is appearing at the GMC accused of misconduct. Tatchell and his friends allegedly met Mr Steel while partying at the Polo Lounge, a gay bar in Glasgow, on 19 September, 2003.

Tatchell then wrote the sedative prescription out for Mr Hoolichan while the party continued at his home the next day, it is claimed. But the pills were left on his living- room table and Mr Steel swallowed 19 of them before falling unconscious.

The doctor allegedly put Mr Steel to bed and realised he was dead at 4am. He was found to have died of an ecstasy overdose.

Tatchell is also accused of producing a six-gramme bag of cocaine at Mr Steel's 30th birthday party on 30 January, 2003, and saying: "Let's get the party started."

Tatchell denies having cocaine at the party and also denies he was drunk. He admits he should have known Mr Hoolichan was drunk when he wrote the prescription for diazepam and that he drove a friend to a pharmacy to collect the sedative.

Tatchell further admits that Mr Smith left the pills on the living-room table, but denies his actions were inappropriate, irresponsible and an abuse of his position.

Tatchell admits telling police he made notes of a consultation with Mr Hoolichan on 18 September 2003, but denies the notes were fabricated. He further denies his fitness to practise is impaired.

The hearing continues today.

Update: More recent reports in England are making much of the angle the the doctor was 'involved in drug-fuelled Glasgow gay scene'. Sounds like the tabloids are going to have fun with this one.

Mr Dafydd Enoch, for the GMC, told the hearing: "It would seem Dr Tatchell and friends were part of a socially active gay scene in Glasgow and this party represented a typical spontaneous event.

"The party was not just fuelled by drink, although there was vodka, beer, champagne and alcopops drunk, we say it was fuelled by drugs, certainly in Mr Steel's case.

"Dr Tatchell orchestrated a thorough tidy up of the flat before police arrived following Mr Steel's death. At the party there had been swimming, people crashing and then waking up, people had been wearing togas, and you may think police would come in and ask, what has been going on here?

"He had just found a dead body in his bed, he must have realised he should have touched nothing and let the police deal with it, what did he have to hide?"

Mr Enoch then told the hearing that in an interview with police following Mr Steel's death, Dr Tatchell admitted taking cocaine on a recent visit to his native South Africa.

During the party at his flat, Dr Tatchell had written a prescription for Diazepam for his flatmate Brian Hoolichan, on a plain sheet of paper, despite knowing Mr Hoolichan had his own regular GP.

Dr Tatchell drove another man, Gordon Smith, to collect the tablets, and police found the bottle open in his bedroom with 19 of the 28 tablets missing. Only a small amount of the drug was found in Mr Steel's system.

Dr Tatchell worked as an addiction psychiatrist for NHS Greater Glasgow between May 2003 and July 2004.