THE ‘SPY’ WHO DRUGGED ME
Frauds ‘fed ego’ of fake Russian KGB psychiatrist
TRICKING medical professionals stroked the ego of Vincent Victor Berg, a man who posed as a psychiatrist and treated people with severe mental illnesses despite having no qualifications.
In March, a jury in the Southport District Court found Berg guilty of four counts of fraud, two counts of attempted fraud and one count of forgery.
Yesterday Judge Katherine McGinness described the Russian refugee’s actions as “arrogant” and “unnerving”.
The 66-year-old posed as a clinical observer at the Gold Coast Hospital in 1999 and then as a treating psychiatrist in the Townsville Health Service from 1999 to 2002.
During that period he prescribed drugs and had access to a total of 259 patients, some of whom had severe mental illnesses.
Berg also tried to register with the Queensland Medical Board and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of psychiatrists. Throughout Berg’s trial he maintained he was a fully trained psychiatrist, educated in secret by the KGB.
“Your success duping members of the medical profession fed your arrogance and your offending behaviour,” Judge McGinness said yesterday.
“You exhibited absolutely no concern for their (patients) physical or mental health by undertaking and administering treatments without the appropriate qualifications.
“Your display of contempt to some of your supervisors throughout your offending is astounding.
“It is somewhat unnerving you somehow managed to perpetrate for so long.”
Allegations against Berg first came to light in 2005 during the Morris Inquiry into Queensland Health which was launched after Dr Jayant Patel faked his qualifications in Bundaberg.
Berg was charged with fraud in 2009, he was put into custody after being found guilty in March.
Judge McGinness sentenced Berg to four years and three months in prison, to be suspended after 20 months.
The 174 days he had spent in custody since his trial were counted as time already served.
Berg did not breach bail once in the 12 years he had to report to authorities.
Prior to incarceration Berg had been on a disability pension for mental health issues and lived with his son Andreas Berg at Coomera.
Berg’s son told the Bulletin outside court that an appeal was “in process”.