Dr Sean Welsh said he feared his career was “over before it started” after he “foolishly” accepted a package from home
Dr Sean Welsh said he feared his career was over before it had even started
A Liverpool doctor “trying to look cool in front of other people” ended up being convicted when he allowed drugs to be sent to him across Europe in a birthday card. While living in Malta as a trainee, Dr Sean Welsh “foolishly” agreed to receive a package containing cannabis and ketamine, a tribunal heard.
The conviction landed the doctor with a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years and a €500 fine. Now the former University of Malta student – who has since returned to Liverpool – faces potential sanction from the General Medical Council (GMC).
A tribunal has been opened against the south Liverpool based practitioner after it was alleged he failed to disclose the fact he had been convicted while in Malta seven years ago. This came to light when Dr Welsh applied for a place on a UK-based training programme.
The hearing was told how the 31-year-old was “scared my career would be over before it started.”
During the opening day of proceedings, Dr Welsh told the hearing how he attended a New Year’s Eve party in 2017 when a friend of his cousin told him how he would be attending the Lost and Found Festival on the island in 2018. The doctor said the man asked if drugs were easily accessible in Malta but said as he didn’t do them, he wouldn’t know.
His cousin’s friend then suggested sending drugs over to Dr Welsh’s flat through the post in a birthday card. The man told the doctor how it would be addressed to a different name to his and there would be “no problem with you.”
Dr Welsh said he then “foolishly” agreed to take the card and gave his cousin’s friend the address. He said it was something he came to “deeply, deeply regret” and described it as “stupid.”
The hearing was told how it was intended that two cards containing packages of drugs would arrive. Dr Welsh said he was told the first package, which was found by police at his flat, contained cannabis and ketamine.
When police visited his flat, Dr Welsh said he told officers the drugs were not for him and complied before being taken to spend a night in the cells. He was charged and sentenced the next day.
When asked about the nature of the drugs, Dr Welsh said he didn’t open any of the packages. He said: “I didn’t want to be holding them, I didn’t know what they actually look like.”
Asked why he had given the address to the man he spoke to at the party, Dr Welsh said: “I was a little bit lonely. I was far away from everyone and in my class there were only six to 10 English speaking students.
“All my friends were older, had kids or got married. I was excited for someone to come out and see me.
“On reflection, I was trying to look cool in front of other people, which is embarrassing for me to say. It’s something I regret, a serious lack of judgement and something I think about all the time.
“I’m as much to blame as anyone, they were right to charge me, what I did was illegal, I did facilitate it. It was wrong of me to do.”
In September 2019, Dr Welsh submitted a form for a place on the UK foundation programme, a two-year work-based training scheme to bridge the gap between medical school and the workplace. Alan Taylor, on behalf of the GMC, said despite knowing he needed to provide details of his conviction, “he chose to stay silent.”
A statement from Dr Welsh explained why he didn’t complete the form correctly. It said: “I was scared my career would be over before it started and I want to be able to work in the UK where my friends and family are.” His failure to properly declare his conviction came to light when he applied for locum work and the agency he went through undertook an enhanced DBS check.
Dr Welsh told the panel: “It was a foolish and dishonest thing that I did and something I regret. I want to be someone patients want to be their doctor and someone they can trust.
“I love being a doctor, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love interacting with patients.”
The hearing continues.