Bogus doc was med school drop-out, court hears

2:00am Tuesday 19th June 2007

A BOGUS doctor who joined a slimming club and gave jabs to members was yesterday jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Fraudster Scott Walker, 25, stole drugs and syringes from his grandmother's home nurse and hired taxis to deliver made-up prescriptions to his victims.

"When he administered these drugs to the

Richard Bennett, defending

Teesside Crown Court heard how Walker, 25-stone, gave flu and migraine vaccinations at the Slimming World meetings held at O'Gradys, in Queen Street, Redcar, east Cleveland, and took blood samples for alleged cholesterol tests.

The conman also stole £5,000 raised to buy two defibrilators for the Great North Air Ambulance and another £3,000 raised from sponsored walks and tombolas.

He charged one woman £63 for an injection against migraine which he said was a new wonder drug from America.

When police revealed that he was a medical school dropout many of them had to have HIV checks which could affect overseas travel plans, said prosecutor Shaun Dodds.

Police found dozens of blank prescriptions at Scott's home, and also sheets of paper on which he had practised signing himself Doctor Scott and Professor Scott.

Walker who attended meetings with a black Gladstone bag containing a stethopscope and other medical equipment, claimed he was a £37 an hour callout doctor and later on the staff at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.

A spokeswoman for Slimming World last night said: "The members of the O'Gradys group feel very upset that their trust was taken advantage of and are particularly disappointed that the charity they believed they were helping was unable to benefit because of this unfortunate incident. They are however relieved that the matter was uncovered.

"At no point were any injections administered or discussed in the Slimming World group. One member who had become good friends with Mr Walker allowed him to provide flu injections to her family but this was a personal matter outside of the group."

Richard Bennett, defending, said: "When he administered these drugs to the victims there was no malicious intent, he did it in fact to help them."

Walker of Adshead Road, Dormanstown, Redcar, pleaded guilty to three actual bodily harm assaults, three offences of supplying controlled drugs Co-Codomol, Codeine Phosphate and Lorazepam, two thefts and two of obtaining cash by deception between June 2005 and August last year.

He was also given an indefinite Criminal Anti Social Behaviour Order banning him from joining any slimmer's club, medical or dental practice without informing police.

Entertainment