Latest news with #OmerSheikh
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Doctor and husband who made £8k selling stolen NHS PPE on eBay in pandemic jailed
Attiya and Omer Sheikh admitted resetting a quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) which belonged to NHS Scotland and had been stolen during the pandemic A doctor and her husband who pocketed £8,000 by selling stolen NHS PPE on eBay have been jailed. Attiya and Omer Sheikh admitted reselling a quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) which was the property of NHS Scotland between May 30 and October 7, 2020 when they appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court in May. It had been 'dishonestly appropriated' by persons unknown to the prosecutor, court documents state. The couple were jailed when they returned to the court for sentencing on Friday, with the term reduced from 12 months because of their early guilty pleas. Sentencing the pair, Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill said the husband and wife both knew they were in possession of PPE that had been stolen from the NHS. She said: 'The offence happened between May and October 2020. That time period in my view was significant. This was a time when the world was in a heightened state of fear and anxiety at the start of the Covid pandemic. The NHS was facing an unprecedented crisis. 'There was an extreme shortage of PPE. As a doctor you clearly knew that PPE was essential for your colleagues and by extension their families. You chose to sell this PPE, which you knew was stolen for financial gain. It is hard to imagine a more egregious breach of trust, not only in respect of your colleagues but of society.' She added: 'You did this together out of sheer greed.' Reset is the offence of handling stolen goods. Prosecutors said the couple made £7,827 selling PPE, including medical gloves and masks, on a number of eBay accounts. Police searched the couple's home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, in October 2020 and found 121 boxes of PPE in an attic. At the time of the offence, Attiya Sheikh, 46, worked as a doctor at University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, but she has not worked for NHS Lanarkshire since 2020. John Scullion KC, representing the doctor, said the offence has had a 'very significant' impact on the mother-of-three, both professionally and personally. He said she is now unemployed, having lost jobs as a locum doctor and in a role certifying drivers of HGV vehicles as a result of the court proceedings. He told the court: 'She accepts full responsibility for her actions and acknowledges the significant breach of trust the offence represents, and the potential impact of her actions both on her professional colleagues and on society more generally, and expresses remorse which appears to be both genuine and profound. 'She has dedicated her adult life to the study of medicine, working extremely hard to become a doctor and perhaps even harder completing relevant conversion courses allowing her to practice in the UK in order that she could make a positive contribution to society. 'Instead, because of her actions in 2020, she has now lived for almost five years with the shame of having betrayed the values which have otherwise guided her life. It's fair to say that she bitterly regrets her actions.' Advocate Kevin Henry, representing 48-year-old Omer Sheikh, said he accepts full responsibility for his actions. He said: 'He recognises that it was a big, big mistake on his part and understands the impact this offence will have had on frontline NHS workers at a time when PPE was at a premium.' Omer Sheikh works front of house in his family restaurant, the court heard. Both lawyers had urged Sheriff Gill to consider alternatives to custody such as community payback orders, but she said she was satisfied the offence passed the custody threshold. A General Medical Council (GMC) spokesperson said: 'Dr Attiya Sheikh is currently registered with a licence to practise but with interim conditions on her registration pending the conclusion of a GMC investigation.' An interim orders tribunal of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service first imposed the interim restrictions on her practice on December 20, 2024.
Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Telegraph
NHS doctor and husband made £8,000 selling stolen Covid PPE
A doctor and her husband who made almost £8,000 out of 'sheer greed' selling personal protective equipment (PPE) stolen from the NHS during the early months of the pandemic have been jailed for 10 months each. Attiya and Omer Sheikh admitted resetting a quantity of PPE which was the property of NHS Scotland between May 30 and Oct 7 2020 when they appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court in May. Reset is the offence of handling stolen goods. It had been 'dishonestly appropriated' by persons unknown to the prosecutor, court documents stated. The couple were jailed when they returned to the court for sentencing on Friday, with the term reduced from 12 months because of their early guilty pleas. Sentencing the pair, Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill said they both knew they were in possession of PPE stolen from the NHS. 'Egregious breach of trust' She said: 'The time period was significant. This was a time when the world was in a heightened state of fear and anxiety at the start of the pandemic. The NHS was facing an unprecedented crisis. There was an extreme shortage of PPE. 'As a doctor, you clearly knew that PPE was essential for your colleagues. You chose to sell PPE which you knew was stolen for financial gain. It is hard to imagine a more egregious breach of trust. You did this together out of sheer greed.' Prosecutors said that in July 2020, NHS counter fraud services began an investigation into the potential theft and resale of PPE, including medical gloves and masks, on eBay. The investigation found four separate eBay accounts connected to the accused. The couple made £7,827 selling PPE on the site, the court heard. Police and NHS counter fraud service specialists searched the couple's home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, in October 2020 and found 121 boxes of PPE in the attic. At the time, Attiya Sheikh, 46, was a doctor at University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride, but she has not worked for NHS Lanarkshire since 2020. John Scullion KC, representing the doctor, said the offence had a 'very significant' impact on the mother of three, both professionally and personally, and she was now unemployed. 'She accepts full responsibility for her actions and acknowledges the significant breach of trust the offence represents, and the potential impact of her actions both on her professional colleagues and on society more generally, and expresses remorse which appears to be both genuine and profound,' he said. 'She has dedicated her adult life to the study of medicine ... in order that she could make a positive contribution to society. 'Instead, because of her actions, she has now lived for almost five years with the shame of having betrayed the values which have otherwise guided her life. She bitterly regrets her actions.' 'He recognises his mistake' Advocate Kevin Henry, representing Mr Sheikh, 48, said: 'He recognises that it was a big, big mistake on his part and understands the impact this offence will have had on front-line NHS workers at a time when PPE was at a premium.' Gordon Young, head of NHS Scotland counter fraud services, said: 'This individual was aware that this personal protective equipment had been unlawfully appropriated and as a clinician she would have understood the importance of PPE for NHS Scotland staff during the Covid pandemic. 'Our investigation included locating 121 boxes of gloves intended to protect our front-line staff.'
The Independent
18-07-2025
- The Independent
Doctor and husband jailed after selling PPE stolen from NHS during Covid pandemic
A doctor and her husband have been jailed for 10 months each after admitting to selling personal protective equipment (PPE) stolen from NHS Scotland during the initial months of the Covid-19 pandemic. The couple, described as acting out of "sheer greed", profited by almost £8,000 from the illicit sales. Attiya and Omer Sheikh pleaded guilty in May at Paisley Sheriff Court to resetting a quantity of PPE that belonged to NHS Scotland between May 30 and October 7, 2020. Court documents indicated the equipment had been "dishonestly appropriated" by unknown individuals. Their 10-month sentences, handed down on Friday, were reduced from 12 months due to their early guilty pleas. Sentencing the pair, Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill said the husband and wife both knew they were in possession of PPE that had been stolen from the NHS. She said: 'The offence happened between May and October 2020. 'That time period in my view was significant. This was a time when the world was in a heightened state of fear and anxiety at the start of the Covid pandemic. The NHS was facing an unprecedented crisis. 'There was an extreme shortage of PPE. As a doctor you clearly knew that PPE was essential for your colleagues and by extension their families. 'You chose to sell this PPE, which you knew was stolen for financial gain. It is hard to imagine a more egregious breach of trust, not only in respect of your colleagues but of society.' She added: 'You did this together out of sheer greed.' Reset is the offence of handling stolen goods. Prosecutors said that in July 2020 NHS Counter Fraud Services began an investigation into the potential theft and resale of PPE on eBay. The investigation led to the identification of four separate eBay accounts which were connected to both accused. Prosecutors said the couple made £7,827 selling PPE, including medical gloves and masks, on a number of eBay accounts. Police and NHS Counter Fraud Service specialists searched the couple's home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, in October 2020 and found 121 boxes of PPE in an attic. At the time of the offence, Attiya Sheikh, 46, worked as a doctor at University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, but she has not worked for NHS Lanarkshire since 2020. John Scullion KC, representing the doctor, said the offence has had a 'very significant' impact on the mother-of-three, both professionally and personally. He said she is now unemployed, having lost jobs as a locum doctor and in a role certifying drivers of HGV vehicles as a result of the court proceedings. He told the court: 'She accepts full responsibility for her actions and acknowledges the significant breach of trust the offence represents, and the potential impact of her actions both on her professional colleagues and on society more generally, and expresses remorse which appears to be both genuine and profound. 'She has dedicated her adult life to the study of medicine, working extremely hard to become a doctor and perhaps even harder completing relevant conversion courses allowing her to practice in the UK in order that she could make a positive contribution to society. 'Instead, because of her actions in 2020, she has now lived for almost five years with the shame of having betrayed the values which have otherwise guided her life. 'It's fair to say that she bitterly regrets her actions.' Advocate Kevin Henry, representing 48-year-old Omer Sheikh, said he accepts full responsibility for his actions. He said: 'He recognises that it was a big, big mistake on his part and understands the impact this offence will have had on frontline NHS workers at a time when PPE was at a premium.' Omer Sheikh works front of house in his family restaurant, the court heard. Both lawyers had urged Sheriff Gill to consider alternatives to custody such as community payback orders, but she said she was satisfied the offence passed the custody threshold. A General Medical Council (GMC) spokesperson said: 'Dr Attiya Sheikh is currently registered with a licence to practise but with interim conditions on her registration pending the conclusion of a GMC investigation.' An interim orders tribunal of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service first imposed the interim restrictions on her practice on December 20, 2024. Gordon Young, head of NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services at NHS National Services Scotland, said: 'This individual was aware that this personal protective equipment (PPE) had been unlawfully appropriated and as a clinician she would have understood the importance of PPE for NHS Scotland staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services led the investigation which secured this conviction, and our work included locating 121 boxes of gloves which had been intended to protect our frontline staff. 'This successful prosecution reaffirms NHS Scotland's commitment to safeguarding vital resources for health service provision as intended by the taxpayer.'
Glasgow Times
18-07-2025
- Glasgow Times
Doctor and husband jailed after selling stolen PPE
Attiya and Omer Sheikh admitted resetting a quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) which was the property of NHS Scotland between May 30 and October 7, 2020, when they appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court in May. A doctor and her husband, who made almost £8000 out of 'sheer greed' selling PPE stolen from the NHS during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, have been jailed. It had been 'dishonestly appropriated' by persons unknown to the prosecutor, court documents state. Attiya Sheikh (second left) and her husband Omer Sheikh (left), along with their legal team, at Paisley Sheriff Court for sentencing (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) The couple were jailed for 10 months each when they returned to the court for sentencing on Friday, with the term reduced from 12 months because of their early guilty pleas. Sentencing the pair, Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill said the husband and wife both knew they were in possession of PPE that had been stolen from the NHS. READ NEXT: Violent thug caught on CCTV attacking woman in Glasgow She said: 'The offence happened between May and October 2020. That time period, in my view, was significant. "This was a time when the world was in a heightened state of fear and anxiety at the start of the Covid pandemic. "The NHS was facing an unprecedented crisis. There was an extreme shortage of PPE. As a doctor, you clearly knew that PPE was essential for your colleagues and, by extension, their families. 'You chose to sell this PPE, which you knew was stolen for financial gain. It is hard to imagine a more egregious breach of trust, not only in respect of your colleagues but of society.' She added: 'You did this together out of sheer greed.' Reset is the offence of handling stolen goods. Prosecutors said the couple made £7827 selling PPE, including medical gloves and masks, on a number of eBay accounts. READ NEXT: LIVE updates as 999 crews at incident in Newton Mearns Police searched the couple's home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, in October 2020 and found 121 boxes of PPE in an attic. At the time of the offence, Attiya Sheikh, 46, worked as a doctor at University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, but she has not worked for NHS Lanarkshire since 2020. John Scullion KC, representing the doctor, said the offence has had a 'very significant' impact on the mother-of-three, both professionally and personally. He said she is now unemployed, having lost jobs as a locum doctor and in a role certifying drivers of HGV vehicles as a result of the court proceedings. He told the court: 'She accepts full responsibility for her actions and acknowledges the significant breach of trust the offence represents, and the potential impact of her actions both on her professional colleagues and on society more generally, and expresses remorse which appears to be both genuine and profound. 'She has dedicated her adult life to the study of medicine, working extremely hard to become a doctor and perhaps even harder completing relevant conversion courses, allowing her to practice in the UK in order that she could make a positive contribution to society. 'Instead, because of her actions in 2020, she has now lived for almost five years with the shame of having betrayed the values which have otherwise guided her life. 'It's fair to say that she bitterly regrets her actions.' READ NEXT: Man rushed to hospital Glasgow Carnwadric Road 'attempted murder' Advocate Kevin Henry, representing 48-year-old Omer Sheikh, said he accepts full responsibility for his actions. He said: 'He recognises that it was a big, big mistake on his part and understands the impact this offence will have had on frontline NHS workers at a time when PPE was at a premium.' Omer Sheikh works front of house in his family restaurant, the court heard. Both lawyers had urged Sheriff Gill to consider alternatives to custody, such as community payback orders, but she said she was satisfied the offence passed the custody threshold. A General Medical Council (GMC) spokesperson said: 'Dr Attiya Sheikh is currently registered with a licence to practise but with interim conditions on her registration pending the conclusion of a GMC investigation.' An interim orders tribunal of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service first imposed the interim restrictions on her practice on December 20, 2024.
South Wales Guardian
18-07-2025
- South Wales Guardian
Doctor and husband who sold PPE stolen from NHS during pandemic jailed
Attiya and Omer Sheikh admitted resetting a quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) which was the property of NHS Scotland between May 30 and October 7, 2020 when they appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court in May. It had been 'dishonestly appropriated' by persons unknown to the prosecutor, court documents state. The couple were jailed when they returned to the court for sentencing on Friday, with the term reduced from 12 months because of their early guilty pleas. Sentencing the pair, Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill said the husband and wife both knew they were in possession of PPE that had been stolen from the NHS. She said: 'The offence happened between May and October 2020. 'That time period in my view was significant. This was a time when the world was in a heightened state of fear and anxiety at the start of the Covid pandemic. The NHS was facing an unprecedented crisis. 'There was an extreme shortage of PPE. As a doctor you clearly knew that PPE was essential for your colleagues and by extension their families. 'You chose to sell this PPE, which you knew was stolen for financial gain. It is hard to imagine a more egregious breach of trust, not only in respect of your colleagues but of society.' She added: 'You did this together out of sheer greed.' Reset is the offence of handling stolen goods. Prosecutors said that in July 2020 NHS Counter Fraud Services began an investigation into the potential theft and resale of PPE on eBay. The investigation led to the identification of four separate eBay accounts which were connected to both accused. Prosecutors said the couple made £7,827 selling PPE, including medical gloves and masks, on a number of eBay accounts. Police and NHS Counter Fraud Service specialists searched the couple's home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, in October 2020 and found 121 boxes of PPE in an attic. At the time of the offence, Attiya Sheikh, 46, worked as a doctor at University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, but she has not worked for NHS Lanarkshire since 2020. John Scullion KC, representing the doctor, said the offence has had a 'very significant' impact on the mother-of-three, both professionally and personally. He said she is now unemployed, having lost jobs as a locum doctor and in a role certifying drivers of HGV vehicles as a result of the court proceedings. He told the court: 'She accepts full responsibility for her actions and acknowledges the significant breach of trust the offence represents, and the potential impact of her actions both on her professional colleagues and on society more generally, and expresses remorse which appears to be both genuine and profound. 'She has dedicated her adult life to the study of medicine, working extremely hard to become a doctor and perhaps even harder completing relevant conversion courses allowing her to practice in the UK in order that she could make a positive contribution to society. 'Instead, because of her actions in 2020, she has now lived for almost five years with the shame of having betrayed the values which have otherwise guided her life. 'It's fair to say that she bitterly regrets her actions.' Advocate Kevin Henry, representing 48-year-old Omer Sheikh, said he accepts full responsibility for his actions. He said: 'He recognises that it was a big, big mistake on his part and understands the impact this offence will have had on frontline NHS workers at a time when PPE was at a premium.' Omer Sheikh works front of house in his family restaurant, the court heard. Both lawyers had urged Sheriff Gill to consider alternatives to custody such as community payback orders, but she said she was satisfied the offence passed the custody threshold. A General Medical Council (GMC) spokesperson said: 'Dr Attiya Sheikh is currently registered with a licence to practise but with interim conditions on her registration pending the conclusion of a GMC investigation.' An interim orders tribunal of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service first imposed the interim restrictions on her practice on December 20, 2024. Gordon Young, head of NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services at NHS National Services Scotland, said: 'This individual was aware that this personal protective equipment (PPE) had been unlawfully appropriated and as a clinician she would have understood the importance of PPE for NHS Scotland staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services led the investigation which secured this conviction, and our work included locating 121 boxes of gloves which had been intended to protect our frontline staff. 'This successful prosecution reaffirms NHS Scotland's commitment to safeguarding vital resources for health service provision as intended by the taxpayer.'
