FRAUDULENTLY ADDING TRAMADOL TO PRESCRIPTION LANDS NEWPORT MUM IN COURT

A 28-year-old mum-of-3 who fraudulently added a strong painkiller to her prescription has been handed a conditional discharge at court. Jessie Walker, of Pyle Street in Newport, appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court last Tuesday (26th June) charged with fraud by false representation, in relation to an act she carried out on 31st May last year. Liz Miller, prosecuting, told the court that when Walker was arrested for unrelated matters in June 2023 it was noted she had been reported by the NHS for obtaining medication by fraud, namely Tramadol. When questioned by Police, Walker said that she had obtained the drug as she had voices in her head that made her do it. The act of fraud was discovered when a pharmacist questioned why Walker had been prescribed 7 days of an anti-psychotic, but 14 days of a strong painkiller. The clinician was consulted and confirmed that the tramadol had been added on afterwards by Walker. More than 6 months after being questioned, Walker was given a caution in relation to the offence. She was ordered to pay £75 and attend a course. However, Ms Miller explained to the court that Jessie Walker simply failed to attend the course, so the matter was brought before the courts. Defending, Bridget O’Hagen said her client had been admitted to hospital around the time of the offence having suffered a mental breakdown, brought about by her father being killed in a house fire. The single mum was given a prescription as she ‘couldn’t cope’, but this did not include tramadol. Mrs O’Hagen told the bench that Walker simply did not have £75 to spare and therefore could not comply with the conditional caution. Magistrates handed Jessie Walker a 6-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay a £26 surcharge.