John Bursic denies ‘giving’ methadone dose to patient who died in St George Hospital mental ward

A patient who was in a mental health hospital ward has claimed he was not responsible for giving another patient his methadone which resulted in the man’s death, a court has heard.

John Bursic speaking to his lawyer outside Sutherland Local Court on Friday after defending an allegation he supply drugs to another patient at a hospital. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A patient who was in a mental health hospital ward has claimed he was not responsible for giving another patient his methadone which resulted in the man’s death shortly after, a court has heard.

John Bursic, 44, pleaded not guilty to a charge of supplying a small quantity of drugs and defended the allegation at Sutherland Local Court on Friday.

The court heard Bursic – who lives in Rockdale – was an involuntary patient at St George Hospital acute mental health ward after being admitted for psychosis in December 2022.

Bursic told the court he had been on methadone – a medicine used to treat heroin dependence – daily for four years but he did not receive his dose for four days after being admitted because his script was unable to be filled due to the holiday period.

Bursic described going through withdrawal symptoms over those days including having nausea, sore bones and joints, feeling hot and a runny nose.

John Bursic pleaded not guilty in court. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

He was given a dosage by a nurse on the fifth day without incident but the next day he was given a dose early in the morning.

Bursic said he was given a dose which he “pretended to drink” but instead he “spat it into a cup” that contained water, without the nurses realising.

He admitted he deliberately concealed taking the methadone from the nurses saying he didn’t want it in the morning because he had been dosed the previous afternoon.

Bursic said he made friends with another patient, Alex Conti, who he met in the ward during his stay.

He said Mr Conti went into his room and as the two were sharing a vape, Bursic said Mr Conti picked up the cup that had the mixture of methadone and water.

Bursic said Mr Conti asked what it was, took the cup off a table and took a sip before Bursic asked him to stop.

Generic picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Bursic said Mr Conti put the cup back down before Bursic drank the rest of the contents.

He told the court he did not plan for Mr Conti to have the methadone because he needed it to avoid feeling sick.

The court heard later that day, Mr Conti went into “code blue” and Bursic saw him lying on the floor surrounded by nurses who attempted life saving treatment.

Mr Conti died and a post mortem report said there was “no other competing cause of death” than a methadone overdose.

The court previously heard from a doctor and two nurses who detailed conversations with Bursic where he told them he had “given” Mr Conti the methadone.

Brusic said during the code blue, he told a nurse Mr Conti “had methadone” and when asked how that was possible by a nurse, Bursic said he had spat it back into the cup.

A short time later Bursic also suggested to the nurse to give Mr Conti medication which reversed the effect of an overdose.

Bursic was informed Mr Conti had passed away later that afternoon and he was asked why Mr Conti had taken the methadone.

Bursic told the court he said words to the effect of “he had it because he thought he would like it”.

John Bursic will be sentenced in June.

During cross examination, Bursic said when he saw his friend on the floor he was only concerned about his welfare.

Police prosecutor Sergeant James Glissan asked Bursic, “because you were only concerned about his welfare, you admitted you gave him methadone?”
“Yes,” Bursic replied.

Bursic acknowledged Mr Conti’s passing was traumatic and he had a vague memory of the conversations he had with hospital staff.

Bursic told the court “I felt responsible when he was having the overdose”.

Bursic denied he organised for Mr Conti to come into his room to take the methadone and that Mr Conti ingested the whole amount.

In closing submissions, Sgt Glissan noted Bursic told the court the amount Mr Conti drank was so small that Bursic did not notice the difference in the quantity of liquid he drank after Mr Conti, when compared to his usual dose.

Sgt Glissan submitted Bursic’s version of events lacked credibility because the amount Mr Conti consumed must have been more than a small sip for it to be toxic or fatal.

Magistrate Rodney Brender adjourned the case to June 21 to consider his judgment.

Originally published as John Bursic denies ‘giving’ methadone dose to patient who died in St George Hospital mental ward