Relatives of a 20-year-old roofer who suffered a brain injury after becoming involved in a fight in a pub garden are wating for a High Court judge to rule on a life-support treatment fight.
Hospital bosses have asked Mr Justice MacDonald to rule that doctors can lawfully stop treating Andy Casey, of Mitcham, south-west London.
Specialists say Mr Casey’s brain-stem function has died and he is therefore dead.
Mr Justice MacDonald considered evidence at a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in the Royal Courts of Justice complex in London on Friday.
This is a tragic matter whereby the trust seeks a declaration that very sadly Andy's brain-stem function has died and that thereby he has died— Barrister Abid Mahmood
He said he aimed to deliver a ruling in the near future.
A lawyer representing St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which is based in Tooting, south London, and has responsibility for Mr Casey’s treatment, asked the judge to rule that it would be lawful to cease “artificial ventilation and care”.
Barrister Abid Mahmood said “brain-stem testing” by two specialists had shown that Mr Casey was dead.
“This is a tragic matter whereby the trust seeks a declaration that very sadly Andy’s brain-stem function has died and that thereby he has died,” Mr Mahmood told the judge.
“The trust seeks an order that it is lawful for the trust to cease artificial ventilation and care that Andy currently receives.”
I don't believe he is brain-stem dead. I really don't— Christine Casey
Relatives say they have seen Mr Casey make “movements”.
“I don’t believe he is brain-stem dead,” Mr Casey’s sister, Christine Casey, told the judge.
“I really don’t.”
Mr Mahmood told the judge in a written case outline that Mr Casey was involved in a fight in a pub garden on July 9 and had been “punched to the head” and “fell to the ground”.
He said specialists had “diagnosed” death on July 16.
Relatives asked for permission to produce further medical evidence but Mr Justice MacDonald dismissed their application.
He said he would examine videos which relatives had taken of Mr Casey before delivering a ruling.
The judge, who heard that Mr Casey had remained on a ventilator since being injured, said such cases were “the most serious”.
