A NURSE accused of murdering two patients was the only person in the right place at the right time to have done it, according to the prosecution at his trial.

Ben Geen, 25, from Banbury, is accused of murdering Anthony Bateman, 65, and David Olney, 75, and causing grevious bodily harm with intent to a further 16 patients while working at the town's Horton Hospital between December 2003 and February 2004.

Yesterday, at Oxford Crown Court, Michael Austin-Smith QC concluded the case for the prosecution.

He said there was a pattern of unexplained respiratory arrests which must have been deliberate and malicious.

He said: "Only one person was responsible. That one person was in a position of responsibility on each occasion.

"Only one person was in the right place at the right time a person who was found with a syringe which he tried to dispose of when he was found with incriminating material in it. A person who lied to police when he was first interviewed to try and bluff his way out of it."

Mr Austin-Smith suggested that if Geen was responsible for the cessation of breathing but did not intend for people to die, he would have stopped what he was doing after the death of Mr Olney, his 13th alleged victim.

Instead, a further five patients went on to have unexplained respiratory arrests.

The trial continues.