Doctor smuggled ‘morphine’...but got paracetamol instead
A DOCTOR who thought she was smuggling powerful painkillers into Scotland was duped by her online supplier.
Instead of receiving drugs such as morphine, Katy McAllister was given hay-fever pills, paracetamol and anti-inflammatory medication, a court heard yesterday.
The 33-year-old, who was acquitted in 2015 of killing a friend by allegedly giving her a cocktail of prescription drugs, admitted importing or attempting to import oxycodone and morphine, both class A drugs.
But Dundee Sheriff Court heard no traces of the drugs were found in any of the tablets seized during importation.
McAllister, who has a previous conviction for supplying drugs, also admitted importing class C drugs diazepam and temazepam.
The offences were committed at her home in Dundee, at the Royal Mail sorting office in the city and at the UK’s international postal hub in Coventry, between May and August 2017.
Depute fiscal Saima Rasheed told how several parcels containing tablets marked variously as temazepam, diazepam, oxycodone and morphine sulphate were intercepted at the UK Border Force Hub and at the Royal Mail sorting office in Dundee. Police were then contacted to investigate.
In September 2017, McAllister, described in court as a speciality registrar, was arrested and her home was searched. Miss Rasheed said: ‘A number of mobile phones and associated devices were recovered from the property and analysed.
‘Messages dated between July 19 and August 31, 2017, infer that the accused arranged or attempted to arrange the delivery of quantities of various medications from an online supplier based in India. She instructs the parcels to be sent “discreetly” to avoid them coming to the attention of police or customs.’
The fiscal said no tablets really containing morphine or oxycodone were recovered. Some tablets labelled diazepam actually contained the hayfever remedy cetirizine, although 400 pills did contain temazepam.
McAllister admitted four charges under the Customs and Excise Management Act of importing or attempting to import restricted or prohibited goods. Sentence was deferred until November 8 for the preparation of reports. Bail was continued.
In 2015, McAllister was acquitted at the High Court in Edinburgh of killing friend Louise McGowan by giving her a cocktail of drugs at a tattoo parlour.
Prosecutors alleged the doctor administered the drugs herself.
But judge Graham Buchanan, QC, ruled that they had failed to provide evidence of culpable homicide.
Then, at the High Court in Glasgow in June 2017, McAllister admitted separate charges of supplying or offering to supply diazepam and temazepam to other individuals.
McAllister is expected to face a General Medical Council tribunal in Manchester this month, which will review whether she remains fit to practise as a doctor.