Sunderland GP stopped at Greggs after causing man to suffer flesh-eating disease, court told

Dr Thomas Kwan attempted to kill Patrick O'Hara, 71, during a visit to his home on St Thomas Street in Newcastle which he shared with the defendant's mother, jurors have been told.

Prosecutors claim the "extraordinary case" saw Kwan forge NHS documents, cover his face, and use false number plates to con his victim into thinking he was due a booster injection.

Kwan, 52, travelled to Mr O'Hara's address and administered the jab, which contained iodomethene, a type of pesticide, while hidden behind a mask and glasses, the court heard.

Jurors were told he remained undetected by both Mr O'Hara and his own mother Jenny Leung, during the 45-minute stay.

Mr O'Hara felt immediate pain in his arm but his concerns were eased by Kwan who told him the discomfort would ease, the court was told.

But his condition deteriorated and the pensioner was left fighting for his life in hospital as he battled a rare flesh-eating infection caused by the jab, it is claimed.

Peter Makepeace KC, prosecuting, told the jury: "Sometimes, occasionally perhaps, the truth really is stranger than fiction.

"The case you are about to try, on any view, is an extraordinary case.

"Mr Thomas Kwan, the defendant in the case, was, in January of this year a respected and experienced medical doctor in general practice with a GP's surgery based in Sunderland.

"From November of last year the latest, and probably long before then, he devised an intricate plan to kill his mother's long-term partner, a man called Patrick O'Hara.

"On any view that man had done absolutely nothing to offend Mr Kwan in any way whatsoever. He was however a potential impediment to Mr Kwan inheriting his mother's estate upon her death.

"Mr Kwan used his encyclopaedic knowledge of, and research into, poisons to carry out his plan.

"That plan was to disguise himself as a community nurse, attend Mr O'Hara's address, the home that Mr O'Hara shared with the defendant's mother, and inject Mr O'Hara with a dangerous poison under the pretext of administering a covid booster injection.

"It was a very carefully planned scheme. It involved Mr Kwan forging National Health Service documentation to lure Mr O’Hara, the intended victim to his plan.

"It involves him adopting a personal disguise to shield his identity from his victim and his mother.

"It involved him falsification of number plates on his car to try to evade detection. It involved him using false details to book into a local hotel to use as the base for his operation.

"It was an audacious plan. It was a plan to murder a man in plain sight.

"It was a plan to murder a man right in front of his own mother, that man's life partner."

Mr Makepeace told the court that Kwan and his mother had a "strained relationship" partly caused by her son's expected inheritance from her.

Her will stated her home would be passed over to Mr O'Hara should he die before him.

But by late 2022, tensions had grown so much between Kwan and his mother regarding her finances that she refused to take his calls, jurors were told.

In November of that year, police were called to the couple's address after Kwan forced his way inside to "pester" his mother about the matters, the court heard.

Officers attended and Kwan was warned about his behaviour, jurors were told.

But 12 months later, Mr O'Hara received a letter on NHS paper signed by a Mr Raj Patel informing him he was a priority for a visit by the Community Associated Nursing team, the court heard.

"The letter was in fact a total fake," Mr Makepeace said.

"It was authored by Mr Kwan on his home computer, he had carefully copied and pasted the NHS logo.

"The National Health Community Associated Nursing Team did not in fact exist, it was his invention.

"Mr Raj Patel registered nurse did not exist, it was his invention.

"This letter was the first outward sign of the terrible scheme that Mr Kwan had been planning to execute."

Mr Makepeace told jurors the next stage of Kwan's plan was to create his "window of opportunity" by booking a holiday between January 22 and 26.

A second NHS letter was then sent which offered Mr O'Hara a home visit on January 22 between 9am and 1pm.

Mr Makepeace said: "Once again, the letter was a fake, very carefully and painstakingly prepared by Mr Kwan on his home computer."

Fake name at Premier Inn

Jurors heard Kwan stayed at a Premier Inn nearby the night before the injection under a false name.

Another text reminder was sent to Mr O'Hara by Kwan from a different SIM card and on January 22 he left the Premier Inn wearing a clinical mask, blue surgical gloves, a flat cap and long coat, the court was told.

Mr Makepeace added: "Of course there is no CCTV inside Mr O'Hara's home but very fortunately Mr O'Hara survived this attack and thus we have his account of what happened.

"He recalled the man he believed to be a nurse attending and knocking on the door and being allowed entry. He described that man as being dressed from head-to-toe and wearing surgical gloves and a mask.

"He was also wearing tinted spectacles."

Jurors heard after being let inside, Kwan asked Mr O'Hara to fill out a medical form, took his blood pressure and a urine sample.

Ms Leung then entered the room and asked Kwan if she could take her blood pressure, oblivious to who the nurse was.

"As most of us do, Mr O'Hara averted his eyes, he looked away, as the nurse proceeded to dispense an injection into his left upper arm," Mr Makepeace said.

"Immediately Mr O'Hara felt a terrible pain and he jumped back and he shouted 'bloody hell' and explained the immediate and intense pain in his arm.

"Ms. Leung came downstairs again and commented in passing that the man had been the same height as her son, upon that comment, and for the first time, Mr O'Hara began to suspect something was very wrong.

"He went out into the street to see if he could catch up with the nurse up to get some reassurance.

"Mr Kwan had been in his mother's home undetected pretending to be a nurse for three quarters of an hour.

"O'Hara was too late out into the street. He could find no trace of the nurse. He returned home to find the pain in his arm was getting worse."

Greggs stop

Kwan headed back to the hotel via a stop at Greggs before he drove home to Teesside, the court heard.

The court was told Mr O'Hara contacted his GP and the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle to ask if they had heard of the NHS organisation the nurse said he was from.

The site of the injection became inflamed despite him being sent home with antibiotics, jurors heard.

However his condition grew worse and he was rushed to hospital.

Flesh had to be removed

Mr O'Hara was later diagnosed with Necrotising Fasciitis, a life-threatening flesh-eating disease, and he underwent numerous operations.

Mr Makepeace said: "Very considerable portions of Mr O'Hara's arm flesh had to be removed in repeated procedures."

The court heard five days after the attack, Mr O'Hara received another NHS-style letter detailing the results of his blood tests before the jab was given.

A Royal Mail package meant for Mr O'Hara was then intercepted containing over-the-counter iron supplements which the prosecution say had been sent by the defendant.

Kwan, of Brading Court, Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, has denied attempted murder and section 18 grievous bodily harm and is standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

He has admitted administering a noxious substance.

The trial continues.