Doctor obtained drugs for his own use

A Dungannon doctor made fraudulent prescriptions to obtain thousands of pills for his own use over a five-year period.

Dr Peter Sabherwal (57), a native of Portadown, was based at Campbell Surgery on the Quarry Road in Dungannon.

At the Crown Court, he admitted fraud by abuse of position and seven counts of possession of Class C drugs Diazepam and Co-codemol on dates between 2010 and 2015. Approximately 3,500 pills were fraudulently obtained. The cost of the pills was £422.87, which he has paid back.

Dr Sabherwal was sentenced to two years jail, suspended for three years.

Judge Ramsey KC took into account Dr Sabheral’s previous clear record, his admission of guilt, his remorse and personal issues in his life that culminated in the offending.

In 2019, the doctor was voluntary erased off the practitioners’ register and while he still has the title of ‘Doctor’, he cannot practice.

Judge Ramsey commented that “there is no way back to the medical profession” for him.

The court was told his modus operandi was to use others to get the pills for him by prescription, and then delete the prescriptions off their records.

A member of staff at the practice (described in court as a ‘whistleblower’) exposed the scam in 2016 . It was investigated for two years by the Counterfraud Services who handed over their findings to the PSNI.

The court was told Dr Sanheral qualified as a GP in 1989 and became a senior partner in the practice in 2013. However, in 2009 he underwent knee surgery and was prescribed Co-codemol.

Events in the lives of his close relatives, including financial hardships and health difficulties as well as his own ongoing mental health issues, led to him increasing his consumption of medication.

‘A SAD CASE’

Defence barrister, Ivor McAteer said, “A brilliant career was brought to an unfortunate and permanent end. A tsunami of bad luck befell his family, causing him to take a year off work at the end of 2015. He also began looking after his father, whose health was deteriorating with dementia, and an elephant in the room was he was still taking prescribed medication.

“He has met this with a quiet dignity and has expressed remorse. It is a case where justice can and should be tinged with mercy.”

Imposing the suspended jail term, Judge Ramsey said, “He is a man with a hitherto blameless life and stellar career who risked all that by engaging in this activity.

“This is a sad case in many respects.”

Stating that the crimes are ‘serious’ and carry an ‘inevitable’ custodial sentence, Judge Ramsey suspended the jail term. He warned Dr Sabherwal, “If you commit an offence within next three years which carry a prison sentence, which is most unlikely, two years will be put into effect consecutively.”