Doctor Michelle Mellotte
A FERMANAGH doctor who admitted defrauding a vulnerable pensioner, who was also her patient, out of £10,000 will be sentenced at Downpatrick Crown Court on April 4.
61-year-old Dr Michelle Mellotte, Bannagh Beg Road, Kesh who was described, as “going above and beyond the call of duty to her patients”, admitted abusing her position as a GP in defrauding Michael McGrory of that sum of cash on a date unknown between January 30 2010 and April 22 2011.
The court heard the defendant got £10,000 as a loan from the pensioner, who suffered from Alzheimers.
She chose not to repay it until the matter came to the attention of the General Medical Council and the police.
The GP who was described as being previously of impeccable character, admitted a charge that while occupying a position of trust, dishonestly abused a position of trust in that she obtained £10,000 from the pensioner with the intention of making a gain for herself or another or to cause loss to Michael McGrory.
Prosecuting Counsel, Mr McGee said the victim, who was now deceased gave, the sum of money as a loan to the doctor who was “in diffs” in January 2010.
He said Dr Mellotte, who knew that Michael McGrory had come into an inheritance in 1977, arranged for him to move from a remote rural location into the town of Ederney.
The court heard that Mr McGrory lived a very frugal existence.
He was in his late 70s in 2009, his health deteriorated and he suffered memory loss and would sometimes forget to take his tablets.
In February 2010 Dr Mellotte asked him for a loan of £10,000 in the presence of a home help and a cheque was signed for £10,000 with an endorsement that the money was to be repaid by the summer of 2010.
The court heard the defendant then paid out money to other people to whom she owed money.
About a year after the loan, the home help confronted her about the loan, and the defendant said not to worry that she would pay it back.
The defendant said she had “put it on the long finger” but it was a very unusual arrangement to have with a patient who was suffering from Alzheimers, the court heard.
It was obvious that others would regard her conduct as dishonest, the Prosecutor added.
The defendant subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge that she had abused her position of trust as a doctor to obtain £10,000 from the vulnerable pensioner.
The Prosecutor added that Dr Mellotte was aware of the pensioner’s condition when she asked for the loan in February 2010.
Her failure to repay the loan was dishonest and an abuse of her position of trust, the court was told.
In November 2011 she repaid £5,300 and eventually repaid the entire sum borrowed.
The GP had by then, already been suspended.
She told police that it would look “stupid” if she had to be interviewed without paying back all of the money.
Defence Counsel Gary McHugh said this was a “difficult case with curious features”.
His client had never considered that the initial loan transaction in itself was dishonest and this was the subject of a no bill application.
It was only on the morning of her trial that the Prosecution added that if the GP was not dishonest initially she was dishonest in not paying the sum back within the schedule she had set.
“When confronted with that amendment she accepted that technically she was vulnerable to that finding and hence the plea.”
His client had looked after Mr McGrory and if he was alive “we would not be here” and he would not have made a complaint even she had not repaid the loan within six months.
The court heard the GP had suffered from a depressive illness and had allowed financial matters to get on top of her from time to time as a consequence. He said his client would no longer be practicing as a GP and that “her reputation as a GP has been besmirched and that is a very heavy burden”.
The counsel said she was not fleecing a vulnerable person for her own benefit.
‘There was no suggestion that she was jetting off to the Bahamas or Bond Street to buy £2,000 handbags or new shoes or clothes”.
The £10,000 she had obtained was paid out to others from whom she had borrowed money.
His client did not benefit and the State and Mr McGrory had not lost out.
A large number of testimonials were heard in court on behalf of the defendant.
Reverend Stephanie Woods and Father Brendan Gallagher gave references in court and said the defendant was a very caring person who had gone above and beyond the call of duty.
Judge Stephen Fowler said he wanted to reflect on the considerable detail before the court.
He released the defendant on continuing bail and adjourned the case for sentencing at Downpatrick Court on April 4.
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