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Five former employees of Muckamore Abbey Hospital have denied a series of charges connected to the alleged abuse of patients.

They were formally arraigned at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday.

The hospital, on the outskirts of Antrim, is run by the Belfast Health Trust and provides facilities for adults with severe learning disabilities and mental health needs.

Allegations of physical and mental abuse of patients emerged in 2017.

Danielle Gallagher, 31, from Dermont Crescent in Newtownabbey was charged with a total of five offences allegedly committed on dates between May 2017 and June 2017.

She is accused of wilfully neglecting five patients in 2017.

Stephen Nixon, of Creevy Avenue in Belfast, was charged with a total of six offences allegedly committed in 2017.

He denied two counts of mistreating patients, two counts of making a false entry or statement, one count of wilfully neglecting a patient and one count of false imprisonment.

Darren O'Kane, 35, of Creeve Court in Randalstown, was charged with a total of 33 offences, also allegedly committed in 2017.

He pleaded not guilty to 24 counts of ill treatment of patients, six counts of neglecting patients and three counts of falsely imprisoning patients.

Darren O'Loan, 37, of Aghaboy Gardens in Antrim, was charged with a total of sixteen offences dating back to 2017, including six counts of falsely imprisoning patients, six counts of ill treatment and four counts of wilful neglect.

James Houston, 38, of Elliotts Place in Strangford, was charged with three counts of wilfully neglecting patients in 2017, which he denied.

The judge at Belfast Crown Court said there would be a further arraignment hearing later this week.

The hospital is due to close in June 2024 under a plan announced by Stormont's Department of Health.