“Being a Psychiatric Expert” was the subject of Dr. Nicholas Cooling’s talk for Teignmouth Probus Club’s final meeting for 2025. Dr. Cooling is a third generation Shaldon resident.  His grandmother moved to Shaldon from Sheffield in 1925.

Dr. Cooling trained at Guy’s Hospital and later he was a Senior Registrar in Psychiatry in Norwich and Cambridge, before becoming a Consultant Psychiatrist in Huddersfield.  Dr. Cooling was asked to provide expert evidence on a couple who lost both their daughters in the Hillsborough Disaster and this led to Dr Cooling providing medico-legal reports for the Omagh Bomb, the Harrods Bomb, the Hyde Park Bombing, the Catholic Church Redress Scheme, Medomsley and the Lambeth Children’s Homes Redress Scheme.

Dr. Cooling provided anecdotes about his experiences working in Northern Ireland and all over the United Kingdom.  He also talked warmly about the wonderful support he received from his mother, Dr. Rosalind Cooling, a GP in Teignmouth and the grounding of being able to live in Ringmore on the Strand, one of Beatrix Potter’s inspirational places.  She painted the Strand and also the view across the Teign.

The presentation was followed by an extended questions session, including how the speaker coped with cross-examination in court and how he dealt with his own exposure to hundreds of trauma victims.  The vote of thanks was given by our speaker finder, Chris Inch.

 

Posted by Rick Purnell Press Officer