CLINIC DIDN'T TAKE DRUG OVERDOSE SERIOUSLY, GIRLFRIEND TESTIFIES

Treatment Centre Staff Told Methadone Victim High Dose Would Not Kill
Him, Inquest Hears

Staff at a Somerset Street drug treatment centre were not overly
concerned when 41-year-old Wade Hatt was mistakenly given a massive
overdose of methadone, a coroner's jury was told yesterday.

"They weren't treating it as a very serious situation," said Julie
Maloney, who was Mr. Hatt's partner.

Ms. Maloney testified that Dr. Andre Moolman, a doctor at the Ontario
Addiction Treatment Centre, told her to "watch his breathing" that
evening. If Mr. Hatt's breathing slowed, she was to call 911
immediately. She also said Dr. Moolman told her Mr. Hatt was refusing
to go to hospital.

The jury heard previously that a clinic nurse mistakenly gave Mr.
Hatt the methadone drink intended for Ms. Maloney. Her regular dosage
was 10 times more powerful than his.

Both were being treated for addiction to prescription pain
medications. He took the methadone overdose about 2:30 p.m. on Oct.
14, 2005. Mr. Hatt died of heart failure the next morning.

Ms. Maloney also said Mr. Hatt asked staff whether the overdose was
going to kill him and was informed it would not.

"I was told to watch him, and by 11 p.m. he would be out of the
woods," she said.

Ms. Maloney said if clinic staff had made "a big deal" of the
overdose, she would have called an ambulance for Mr. Hatt right away.

However, in previous testimony, Dr. Moolman said he warned Mr. Hatt
his life was at risk if he did not go immediately to hospital so the
effects of the overdose could be monitored by emergency room staff.

The jury also heard that, ideally, Mr. Hatt should have been admitted
to hospital and monitored for 12 to 24 hours.

Mr. Hatt was also addicted to cocaine. A toxicologist's report showed
Mr. Hatt's blood had traces of cocaine taken within 24 hours of his death.

"He had a habit," said Ms. Maloney, adding she had frequently used
cocaine he had obtained for her.

Ms. Maloney said she thought Mr. Hatt had last used cocaine two days
before his inadvertent overdose.

Mr. Hatt was trying to stop using cocaine because he had two sons,
but was not allowed to see them because of his drug addiction, said
Ms. Maloney. "He was motivated to get clean."

At the time, both of them were employed by the Citizen and worked a
night shift in the mail room.

Ms. Maloney said Mr. Hatt went to sleep about three hours after the
accidental overdose. When she awakened him an hour later, he was
coherent and told her he was very tired and wanted to sleep. She said
she checked on him frequently throughout the evening before going to
bed herself about 1:30 a.m.

A short time later, she left the bedroom to sleep on the couch
because Mr. Hatt was snoring loudly. She woke up shortly before 6
a.m., but could not rouse Mr. Hatt.

"He was very cold," she said, adding she thought he was dead. "I just knew."

At that point, she called 911.

In previous testimony, the jury heard it was clinic policy that
clients who refused to go to hospital after an overdose were to fill
out an "Against Medical Advice" form.

Dr. George Kolbe, a clinic doctor, testified Mr. Hatt was not asked
to fill out this form.

The inquest continues.