Doctor struck off for threats

A doctor who previously practised in New Zealand but had his registration here cancelled after lying to two district health boards and threatening to kill two women has been removed from Britain’s medical register.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found Hirron Fernando was unfit to practise and ‘‘erased’’ his name from the register after it investigated the fact Fernando was found guilty of professional misconduct by the New Zealand Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

One of the recipients of the death threats, who did not want to be named, said she felt ‘‘relieved and vindicated’’ by the result.

She hoped that the decision would bring the drawn-out saga to a close.

Last year Fernando was struck off in New Zealand for lying to the Hawke’s Bay and Capital and Coast DHBs in order to get patient information for a court case in Britain against two family members.

He had been a trainee doctor in Hawke’s Bay in 2006, and contacted the two DHBs in 2014 asking for the information and convincing staff to give out the details.

The UK decision revealed Fernando threatened the women in voicemail messages and in person.

Transcripts produced at the hearing showed Fernando told one of the women he was going to ‘‘f...ing slaughter you. You watch … I hope you will die and you will go to … hell.’’

He was not living in New Zealand at the time, but said he would go there and kill her.

He also breached a nonmolestation order in 2013, and in 2015 he was convicted of common assault when he appeared at a magistrates’ court in Belfast.