A NURSE who left a frail dementia patient 'grimacing' in agony after failing to give her any painkillers has been found guilty of a string of blunders and kicked out of the profession.

Michael Callaghan, 66, missed several other patients out of his drug round, including one who relied on treatment to help her breathe.

In two cases he went on to fill in a medicines record to wrongly state they had been administered.

The nurse resigned when a suspicious colleague caught him out by measuring the medication before and after his shift, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

Callaghan denied the omissions while working the night shift at Drake Nursing Home, a Stoke centre treating dementia sufferers, in March 2006.

But the NMC disciplinary panel rejected his claims that whistle-blowing nurse Nichola Strutt was mistaken.

Callaghan had also accused her of having a grudge against him after he criticised her work.

But committee chairman Ruth Adamson praised Mrs Strutt for being a "credible and truthful witness" who had the "best interests of her patients at heart".

Ms Adamson added: "In fact the panel found the registrant's explanation for the source of the grudge wholly unconvincing."

Jan Alan, defending Callaghan, earlier accused Mrs Strutt of "trapping" her colleague.

The lawyer claimed she should have reported her concerns to the then manager and not carried out her own investigation.

The nurse, who now works at a hospital, said she tackled the problem alone because of perceived lack of support from her boss.

Earlier Mrs Strutt said she counted one patient's medication after becoming suspicious she was not receiving the codeine-based painkiller she needed to dull severe nerve pain in her mouth.

She said: "After I got this medication prescribed she was smiling and more relaxed. But she seemed to be in more pain on the mornings after Mr Callaghan had done a night shift. She was grimacing more."

Another patient with severe breathing problems did not receive her Atrovent Nebuliser during the same shift.

Mrs Strutt also used a pen to mark the level on a bottle of liquid laxative which Callaghan was supposed to give to several patients, but it had not gone down the following day.

Callaghan, from Plymouth, denied three charges that he failed to administer drugs and wrongly recorded giving out painkillers and the nebuliser.

The facts were found proved and Callaghan was later kicked out of the profession after a panel found him guilty of misconduct.

Chairman Ruth Adamson said he deliberately did not give out the drugs, causing potential suffering to vulnerable patients who could not communicate their needs.

He then tried to cover his tracks.

The said: "The panel finds the registrant's fitness to practise is impaired by reason of misconduct.

"The three charges involved the deliberate withholding of medicines needed for the proper treatment of patients in his care.

"The withholding of medicines was compounded by false record-keeping, designed to cover up the registrant's wrongdoing.

"He jeopardised the safe care of patients who were denied treatment and possibly caused them unnecessary pain and suffering."

Ms Alan argued the panel should take no further action as the failings were isolated, but Ms Adamson said the case was "far too serious".

Since qualifying in 1965 Irish-born Callaghan has worked at a string of hospitals and care centres.

He retired following the allegations.