Newcastle, New South Wales

A male registered nurse allegedly murdered two aged care residents with a fatal drug overdose and tried to kill another woman using the same method.

Police from ‘Strike Force Correa’ arrested 27-year-old Lake Macquarie resident GARRY STEVEN DAVIS yesterday morning after a 14-month investigation into the alleged murders of Gwen Fowler, 83, and Ryan Kelly, 80, in October last year at the SummitCare Wallsend Aged Care Facility near Newcastle, New South Wales.

DAVIS, a nurse at the site until his employment was terminated in September, allegedly injected both Mrs Fowler and Mr Kelly with fatal doses of insulin. Neither of the two residents, nor 91-year-old Audrey Manuel, who survived an alleged attempt by DAVIS to kill her in an identical manner, required insulin as medication.

Wearing a blue T-shirt and shorts, DAVIS yesterday appeared briefly in Newcastle Local Court charged with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder. He did not enter pleas and did not apply for bail, which was refused.

Newcastle Police Chief Superintendent John Gralton said DAVIS had been a person “of particular interest for quite a lengthy period of time”.