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A County Down GP is to stand trial on charges of fraudulently conducting clinical trials on patients.

It is also alleged that Dr Hugh McGoldrick tried to pervert the course of justice by facilitating two separate arson attacks on his own surgery.

This was allegedly a bid to destroy evidence in the form of patient records.

Dr McGoldrick, of Crossgar Road East in Crossgar, denies all of the charges against him.

Agreeing to the addition of the perverting the course of justice charges, the judge at Downpatrick magistrates' court said the two fires at the surgery had to be seen in the context of the other charges against Dr McGoldrick.

The fires had happened a week apart in November 2008.

The judge said the allegations were "career-ending".

He added: "There were documents which may have supported those allegations. Those documents were in buildings which were subject to fire."

The judge said there was a prima facie case to answer.

Dr McGoldrick will now be tried on a total of eight charges.

As well as the two perverting the course of justice charges, he faces two counts of conducting clinical trials improperly and four counts of dishonestly making false representation that patients were suitable for clinical trials.

All of the alleged offences are said to have occurred between 2007 and 2008.

Dr McGoldrick was released on his own bail to appear again at the crown court on 26 August.