A 62-year-old man has appeared in court charged with ill-treating patients at Muckamore Abbey Hospital.

Cathal Poyntz, of Menin Road, appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, on Tuesday October 27. The charges relate to incidents in 2017.

Poyntz was granted continuing bail set at £500. He is due to be arraigned at the Crown Court in Belfast on November 9.

Muckamore Abbey Hospital, located in County Antrim, is a facility for adults with severe learning disabilities and mental health needs. The hospital has been the subject of a major public inquiry into allegations of patient abuse.

Several other employees from the hospital have recently appeared in court charged with similar offences.