A Co Antrim man has denied a string of charges linked to the alleged abuse of inpatients by staff at Muckamore Abbey Hospital.
Aaron McFetridge was the first of eight defendants - all of whom are former employees of the Antrim hospital - to be formally arraigned at Belfast Crown Court.
The 38-year old, from Rosses Stables in Ballymena, was charged with 18 offences allegedly committed in 2017.
After confirming his identity, McFetridge was then charged that on July 4 2017 he unlawfully imprisoned a patient and held him against his will. When asked how he pleaded, the accused replied "not guilty".
He was then charged with and entered "not guilty" pleas to a further seven counts of falsely imprisoning patients.
McFetridge was also charged with being a member of hospital staff and ill-treating a patient on August 14 2017 - namely ill-treating a patient receiving treatment for mental disorder as an in-patient.
He denied this offence and a further five similar charges.
In addition, McFetridge had four counts of hospital staff willfully neglecting a patient levelled at him.
A court clerk charged McFetridge that on June 25 2017 being a member of hospital staff he neglected a patient receiving treatment for a mental disorder as an inpatient in Muckamore Abbey Hospital.
McFetridge denied both this charge and a further three offences of a similar nature.
After McFetridge had all 18 counts put to him, Crown barrister Sam Magee KC told Judge Patricia Smyth "there will be another batch of arraignments tomorrow (Tuesday) and a further one on Thursday."
Mr Magee also informed the Belfast Recorder that a number of defence applications are being launched in respect of some of the charges faced by the defendants.