Doctor of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray charged over deaths

Joey Jordison and Paul Gray from Slipknot at Metal Hammer awards in 2005

An American doctor who looked after Slipknot bassist Paul Gray has been charged with eight counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Daniel Baldi is accused of prescribing large amounts of narcotic painkillers to patients who fatally overdosed.

According to the Des Moines Register in the US state of Iowa, Dr Baldi appeared in court on Wednesday (5 September).

A judge entered a plea of not guilty to charges of causing the deaths of eight of his former patients.

One of those people was identified in court papers as Paul Gray.

He died of an overdose at a hotel in Iowa in 2010.

According to court documents, Dr Baldi is accused of unintentionally causing Paul Gray's death by writing "high dose prescription narcotics to a known drug addict" starting in December 2005.

Denial

The Iowa Board of Medicine also filed administrative charges against Dr Baldi last month.

The board alleges he prescribed large quantities of narcotics and other addictive drugs without properly assessing patients' needs for the medications.

Corey Taylor and Shawn Crahan mourn Paul Gray after his death

Dr Baldi's lawyer Guy Cook said bringing criminal charges was "wrong".

"It is unprecedented to turn unfortunate deaths or medical results into a crime against a doctor," Cook said in an email to AP news agency.

"Unexpected deaths can occur in severe, chronic pain patients unrelated to medical treatment.

"This is especially true with patients who are drug addicts or drug abusers."

Earlier this summer Slipknot released their first album since Paul Gray's death.

Antennas To Hell includes singles from their last four studio albums and live tracks.

They also headlined their own Knotfest Festival last month.

Slipknot has eight members - Crahan and Chris Fehn on percussion, lead singer Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson on turntables, guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson, Craig "133" Jones on sampling and drummer Joey Jordison.

They have sold more than 20 million records and won a Grammy music award in 2006.