Anthony Haycroft successfully defends GP in MPTS
12th May 2014
Anthony Haycroft has successfully defended a Nigerian Kent GP who was convicted of trying to obtain medicine on forged prescriptions. He contested the trial accusing his ex partners of planting the evidence against him. The medicine was worth £2,000 and the trial judge sentencing him to 15 months imprisonment considered he acted in a dishonest, deliberate and premeditated way. The sentence was reduced on appeal to 10 months on the basis that in any event his career was in jeopardy. At the Fitness to Practice hearing the GMC sought his erasure asserting that he lacked insight especially as he contested the trial. He did not give evidence but called testimonial witnesses including his local MP who all attested to his otherwise good character, his qualities as a doctor and how he had been depressed at the time due to an acrimonious partnership dispute. Psychiatric evidence was also called. The Panel accepted Mr Haycroft’s submissions that insight may be framed in different ways and there may be cultural difficulties and differences. The Panel acceded to the submission that a period of suspension would sufficiently mark the gravity of the misconduct.
Anthony Haycroft was instructed by Simon Eastwood and Ben Shoebridge of Eastwoods, London.
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