Collected prescriptions fraudulently

Daniel O’Connor (40), Drumgor Heights, Craigavon, admitted ten charges of false representation by collecting prescriptions on behalf of his brother between April 2 and June 4 last year.

The court heard that on June 6 last year a pharmacy reported an ongoing fraud. O’Connor had been collecting prescriptions every Wednesday.

A call was made supposedly by Barry O’Connor saying that he could not collect the prescription and it would be collected by his brother Barry.

When interviewed he said he had been collecting the prescriptions and leaving them at Barry’s house for someone to take it to him while visiting him in prison.

A barrister representing the defendant said he admitted in the pre-sentence report that he had been taking the medication himself.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said O’Connor was putting himself at risk by taking too much medication.

The barrister added that his client did not have his sorrows to seek and it was well into his thirties before he came to the attention of the police.

Judge Bates said he had to balance the serious part that the system had been abused against the fact that the only person potentially being harmed was the defendant himself by overmedicating.

He imposed a 12 month probation order with the condition he undertakes the thinking skills programme.