A BELFAST doctor accused of murdering his mother has been suspended by the regulator from practising medicine.
Declan O'Neill (27), who worked as a locum in Belfast trust hospitals including the Mater in the north of the city, received an 'interim suspension' from the General Medical Council (GMC) after being charged ast month.
Anne O'Neill (51) died following an alleged attack at a house in the Finaghy area on October 21.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate the mother-of-two who was found in the back garden of her elderly parents' home at Ardmore Avenue.
The medic, of Malone Avenue in Belfast, is currently in custody following an appearance at Belfast Magistrates' court four days after the former nurse's death.
He did not apply for bail and is due to appear again via video-link before the end of the month.
The GMC confirmed Dr O'Neill "has been suspended from the medical register and may not practise as a doctor in the UK".
A spokeswoman added: "He was suspended following a hearing of the Interim Orders Tribunal (IOT) at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester on November 10, 2017.
"An interim orders tribunal can suspend or restrict a doctor's practice while an investigation continues, if it is necessary for the protection of the public, or otherwise be in the public interest or in the interests of the doctor.
"Our investigation continues - where there are criminal proceedings we would always wait for these to conclude before completing our own investigation."
