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Home / New Zealand

Recidivist drink driving and violent doctor keeps medical registration, gets suspended

By Belinda Feek
Reporter·NZ Herald·
27 Aug, 2019 11:50 PM4 mins to read

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The doctor not only blew five times the legal limit, but he ripped off his alcohol interlock device before speeding and swerving erratically across all lanes of a motorway. Photo / File

The doctor not only blew five times the legal limit, but he ripped off his alcohol interlock device before speeding and swerving erratically across all lanes of a motorway. Photo / File

A doctor ripped off an alcohol interlock device from his vehicle before getting behind the wheel and driving erratically, swerving at traffic, on a motorway at five times the legal alcohol limit.

And despite the incident not being his first drink-driving conviction, and clocking up two assault convictions involving alcohol, the doctor was granted permanent name suppression and kept his registration with the Medical Council of NZ to allow him to continue to practice.

However, he won't be seeing patients for several months after the New Zealand Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal suspended him for six months and ordered him to lay off drugs and booze for three years after a hearing in June.

The tribunal heard that the doctor had been registered since November 3, 2000, and has mostly worked as a consultant specialist.

Where he worked, his speciality and location of the incidents are included in the suppression orders.

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At some point early last year, the doctor disabled his alcohol interlock device and drove along a motorway drunk.

He was seen driving at "erratic speeds, swerving across all lanes of the motorway, and colliding with left and right barriers".

"Numerous" members of the public contacted police concerned at his driving and that he would end up crashing into other vehicles.

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Two members of the public ended up blocking his vehicle to stop him driving any further.

When police arrived he refused to give his details and tried to walk away before he was detained.

He blew 1376mcgs. The legal limit is 250mcg. He offered no explanation for his actions.

He was later charged and then convicted on three charges; drink driving, dangerous driving and tampering with an alcohol interlock device.

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It was his second drink-driving conviction, having earlier been convicted in 2013, of driving with an excess blood alcohol level of 244mlg. The legal limit at the time was 80mlg.

He was granted diversion in 2015 after pleading guilty to common assault after an incident involving a person not known to him while drunk.

Then in 2017, he pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife during an argument in their home while he was again drunk.

His wife was also charged but the pair were discharged without conviction and they were also granted permanent name suppression.

At the hearing, the tribunal took into account the above aggravating features, including the fact that he posed a "serious risk to Dr J and the public".

However, they also accepted the doctor's admission of wrongdoing and willingly engaged with the Professional Conduct Committee during its investigation and before the tribunal.

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He had also voluntarily engaged with and continues to work with various support groups to address his alcohol abuse, despite "lapsing" on earlier self-imposed abstinence during 2017 and 2018.

Several references had also been put forward attesting to his professional abilities as a doctor.

The tribunal said it also accepted there was "no evidence that Dr J's patients have ever been directly at risk as a result of his issues with alcohol" and that he was remorseful.

"The tribunal has decided that a suspension is appropriate in this case. This is to ensure
protection of the public, and to assist with Dr J's rehabilitation. The tribunal is concerned by the risk of relapse and considers that a period of suspension is necessary to address those concerns.

"In addition to assisting Dr J's recovery, the tribunal considers that suspension will have the effect of maintaining the confidence of the profession and the public at large. "

The doctor was suspended for six months, with several conditions including prohibiting him from any sole charge work either unsupervised, private practice or in a hospital setting, and for three years is required to advise all future employers, of the tribunal's decision and its orders.

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He is also banned from alcohol and other drugs for three years.

He will instead work under the professional supervision of a Medical Council approved supervisor and continue to regularly attend alcohol dependency support networks.

He was also ordered to pay costs of $12,451.62.

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