Paul Flowers police to probe on-call children’s brain doctor who was high on date-rape drug
After last week’s exposé, we reveal his drugs deal texts to a second friend
POLICE have launched an investigation into the senior NHS children’s brain doctor exposed last week by The Mail on Sunday for taking a cocktail of illegal drugs just before going on duty.
An hour after Scots-born Dr Colin Ferrie was filmed snorting cocaine with an acquaintance and taking the powerful sedative and date-rape drug GHB, the hospital where he works confirmed he was on call for his vulnerable young patients.
Last night West Yorkshire Police said that the same officers who investigated shamed Co-op Bank boss the Reverend Paul Flowers – who has since been prosecuted for his drug use – would be handling the inquiry.
A spokesman said: ‘West Yorkshire Police is now conducting an investigation into potential drugs offences following an article in a national Sunday newspaper about a member of staff at Leeds General Infirmary.’
The Mail on Sunday has agreed to hand over its dossier of evidence to police.
The move comes as fresh testimony emerged that Dr Ferrie, a consultant paediatric neurologist and a leading expert on childhood epilepsy based at Leeds General, has been a regular user of powerful illegal drugs, including dangerous and addictive Class As, for some time.
Following our shocking exposé last weekend, this paper was contacted by another drug-taking friend of the consultant about a night of debauchery last May during which Dr Ferrie consumed five different mind-altering substances.
As well as two powerful Class A stimulants – cocaine andd crystal meth – he also took party ty and date-rape drug GHB, the Class B stimulant mephedrone (similar to ecstasy and often referred to as Mcat), and sniffed amyl nitrite or ‘poppers’.
‘I was surprised by just how keen he was on taking chemicals but I knew he was a doctor so I guessed he must know w what he was doing,’ said d the man. ‘Now I think hee needs help.
‘That night he took k cocaine, GHB, Mcat, crystal meth and poppers and then drove home, saying he e had work the next day.’
In text messages s exchanged before the meetting on May 4, the doctor left ft nothing to chance in his quest to secure narcotics.
Concerned that his companion might not be able to afford the cocktail of drugs, Dr Ferrie sent him a text message asking: ‘Do u want me to transfer some cash for the chems?’
The man replied that he could get the mephedrone and try to find GHB – referred to as ‘g’ in the message – saying the drugs would cost £30 in total. Almost immediately, the doctor replied: ‘I reckon we will need more. I’ll transfer 60.’
Minutes later, the consultant sent another text: ‘Will we be able to get more later if we need it?’ before sending a further message: ‘Pity you cannot get Tina.’ Tina is a street name for powerfully addictive crystal meth, the most potent and longlasting form of methamphetamine,
and which was made famous in the hit TV series Breaking Bad.
Last week we revealed that Dr Ferrie had spoken of his love for the drug, the effects of which can last for several days.
The man said that when the doctor arrived for their meeting in Manchester at around 9.30pm on May 4, he brought crystal meth with him as well as three grams of cocaine and ‘poppers’. ‘After he had transferred me £60, I had bought two bags of Mcat for us, as well as 40ml of GHB, so I was surprised by how much more he brought with him.
‘He had a little bag with him containing the coke – there was enough for about 15 lines, some crystal meth which he took through a tube, and poppers which give you a headrush. There were three of us there and we pretty much did all the drugs, going on until about 5.30am.
‘Then Colin drove home. I asked if he’d be all right driving and he said he was used to it. He told me he had work the next day, but I don’t know if he was referring to the Monday or the Tuesday.’
Last week, Dr Ferrie was unavailable for comment, but when The Mail on Sunday contacted him on Friday he said: ‘I have no comment to make.’ Asked whether he had taken a cocktail of drugs on May 4 last year, he refused to comment. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust refused to say whether the consultant was on duty over that May Bank Holiday weekend.
A spokeswoman said: ‘As there is now a police investigation into this matter, we are not able to comment on whether Dr Ferrie was on duty on any given date.’
The hospital admitted that worried parents of his vulnerable patients had been ringing in to ask about the scandal. ‘We have a Patient Advice and Liaison Service which has been taking calls from concerned parents and have talked them through what is going on with the help of a consultant neurologist,’ said the spokeswoman. She added: ‘Dr Ferrie has been excluded from duties at the Trust pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations against him. The Trust has been in contact with West Yorkshire Police about this matter and is fully co-operating with them.
‘Arrangements are being made to ensure scheduled clinics and appointments can go ahead with alternative staff providing cover.’
The maximum penalty for the possession of Class A drugs is seven years in prison, while for Class B drugs it is five years.
GHB is Class C drug, and supplying someone else, even friends, can result in up to 14 years in jail.