Dr David Henderson, an Isle of Wight GP, is to appear in court tomorrow (Friday) charged with being over 3 times the drink drive limit and failing to stop after a road accident.
As previously reported by Island Echo, 60-year-old David Henderson from Rush Close, Shanklin is accused of being involved in a road traffic collision in Shanklin Old Village on 22nd July.
Emergency services were called to the scene when a Mitshubishi Shogun Sport collided with a wall on the S-bends through the Old Village. The driver of the vehicle fled from the scene but was caught by Police a short while later.
It has now been confirmed that the accused is a doctor – Dr David Henderson, listed as being a GP Partner at Sandown Health Centre.
Dr Henderson has been charged with driving whilst unfit through drink and being the driver of a vehicle failing to stop after a road accident.
He will make his appearance before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court tomorrow (21st August 2020).
UPDATE FRIDAY – Dr Henderson admitted the charges against him and as a result has been disqualified from driving for 26 months, handed an 18-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £180.
A GP he will get away with it then surprised comments haven’t been turned off
The Dr ought to be treated exactly the same as everyone else, no better or no worse.
Whilst he is a lovely man by all accounts, no doubt so are several out of every hundred caught each year.
Niceness, and usefulness should not come into this, otherwise British justice, which it is anyway, is made of mockery of.
By being a Dr, he knows better than others the effects and thus the risks he took. Running off was the worst thing imo. IF he had stood his ground then he should still be ‘done’ for the drinking, but to run away, is what we expect from a Social housing teen, not a respected Dr.
I hope he is given the min punishment, but to not be given any, would be more than wrong.
Great , glad he’s not my g.p.
Quite shocked to hear this, would never of thought he would do that
And that is an important point. Anyone has the potential to drink drive. Do not have to be a life long criminal to do something like this. When you drive your ability to make sensible judgement calls falls. To avoid drink driving leave the car at home.
Absolutely Richard, many upright citizens, law abiding, never had any run ins with the law have fallen fowl, myself included to my embarrassment and frustration
He is actually one of the best gps up there and a very kind and caring man don’t judge people on what you don’t know He may be having problems with his own life who knows just be kind and some people don’t think when they have things going on !
Don’t doubt he is good doctor BUT no excuse for 3 times over the limit driving. Very lucky no other car or people involved. Be interesting what punishment he gets.
This article should be edited or removed because you should not be disclosing personal,information. Yes he has done wrong & that can be reported but where he lives & what he does as a job has nothing to do with the matter. If this was anybody else then these items would not be reported so please do the right thing & remove !
I believe you will find that cases due to appear in courts are published in advance of the case being heard, therefore the Echo is merely ‘court reporting’.
Too late now Colin,but to be fair he should have known better.
You don’t think it’s in the community interest to know the facts?
Drink driving is a serious crime and this is responsible and necessary reporting about a highly influential community member. Your assertion that this information should remain private is foolishly secretive and inaccurate of the Data Protection Act. It’s responsible reporting and rightly so.
No one is judging him on what they don’t know. We know he was drink driving, he could have killed someone. We all have problems don’t mean we get in a car drunk.
Yeah but still I was there that night and he nearly killed my daughter If I walked further down them steps she would of been hit
Oh please he never nearly killed anyone I too witnessed it no one was no where near the car! Trying to get your 1min of fame. Just lie to do that!
So it’s okay to kill a few people in a intoxicated hit-and-run because he might be having a few problems at home? Okay Zoe, whatever you say.
agreed Zoe… one never knows what is going on in pepople’s personal life … the mistake he made was to run from the accident..
No excuse for drink driving and having dealt with many a time with the carnage these idiots leave behind he has no sympathy from me just glad he didnt harm anyone with his selfish attitude he will also be struck off by the medical council now as well.
it’ll just be a slap on the wrist then. All in the funny handshake brigade
Dr Henderson is a wonderful doctor and a truly kind human being. His decision to drink and drive that night is so out of character that the harshest punishment he receives will be nothing compared to the way he will feel about putting both himself and the lives of others at risk that night.
You are so right Arky, Doctor Henderson is one of the kindest people you could meet and as a G.P. outstanding. Of course what he did could not be justified, but believe me any one can get to the point of frustration and “lose the plot”. Combined with drink that can be a fatal combination. He will be filled with remorse and face up to the consequences. But look within and know that given sufficient provocation, anyone could reach the point of losing control, if only for the fleeting moments it takes to commit an act so out of character which can leave one deeply regretting for the rest of life. Let he who is free from sin cast the first stone!
This wouldnt have been the first time he has drunk and drove just the first time he has been caught before he ended up killing someone.
Wonder if that would be your reply if it had been a holiday maker or a member of the public no one new.
It’s irrelevant as to who he is or was whatever, I think the gp, I don’t know him by the way, clearly had an issue to have done what he did, no excuse and there will always be the “he could have killed people” I was 12 months ago convicted of drink driving and I was at the time struggling with various issues. I know what’s coming by the way because of my post so please don’t do the predictable
Scum but difference is you nearly killed someone tintin!
I agree, this level of compassion has not been shown for any other driver in the last 12 months! When are people going to realise he could have killed someone … just because he didn’t this time does not make it ok!!
How do you all know he has not done this before? Just because he has not been caught does not mean he hasn’t!!!
Wasn’t Harold Shipman a doctor ?
Drink driving has no place in society what ever problems you have. If he kills a member of your family how would you feel 3 times the limit throw the book at him.
He’s an excellent GP let’s be graceful in our comments and remember we don’t know what is going on his personal life
I’ve had a few episodes in my life that I visited the bottle for solace. But you know what never never never have I drank and drove. No excuses can be offered.
Put it another way he was.
I am assuming you mean that Dr Henderson was a doctor, and is no longer so.
That is the beauty of knowledge Sandra, nothing on earth can eradicate it.
Bravo Michele.
He was the only doctor ever felt comfortable to actually talk about everything that’s going on in my life, gutted really he really helped me a lot over the years
I really really do not condone drink driving at all, however, Dr H has always been an upstanding citizen who has worked so hard, probably too hard, under too many pressures trying to look after too many people at once. I feel it’s such a shame that these pressures have obviously got on top of him before he managed to get help that he clearly so deserved! Yes he has been lucky that no one else was hurt in this incident thankfully, let’s hope he will get the help he so deserves now. Like I say I do not condone drink driving at all but this is so out of character for him and sounds like he desperately needs help, it’s not like he has lots of convictions for other things unlike most you read about on here on a daily basis! Yes every action has a consequence and he will face his no doubt, but he is not like most that do this. Cry for help is my opinion
How do you know he hasn’t done this before and not got caught
That is rather a naive assumption. Could apply to many people.
He’s not very responsible he ran from the scene of the crash I was there and tried to help him but he decided to run off.
If you are the same guy actually telling him to run away and report car as stolen I remember a liam saying that!
Dr Shipman was a well liked and respected. Let justice take its course, then complain.
Shipman mainly killed people incognito. Running away from a drink drive crash is hardly all cloak and daggers???
What the heck are you talking about you clearly have no understanding of the real world or at very least reality, you are a foolish person
A Shogun Sport. I have one. Nearly 2 tonnes of metal. Any vehicle could cause serious damage but being drunk and in control of that, you might as well go around pointing a gun at people.
Ludicrous comment agun?? Ok
Ludicrous comment did you really learn from your mistake.
The ironic thing about it is…that when caught drink driving you get to see a magistrate quicker than you can get to see a doctor.
We all make mistakes.give him a break!
Whilst I cannot condone the drink driving, I can vouch for the outstanding support and proficiency Dr H has provided to my family and myself. The best GP we have ever had. I hope he recovers from this as we cannot afford to lose such a hard-working and dedicated doctor.
He will be struck off by the medical council and rightly so.
I have known Dr Henderson for many years. The quality of his concern & medical advice
far out-way his crime in the recent alleged driving problem. I trust a little judicial empathy will serve him well.
To the devil with you some of the self righteous correspondents who have so little compassion.
You need to step back and look at what he has done, whatever type of gp he is ,how would you feel had your child or wife or anybody been stood where that car landed ,its incredibly lucky nobody was killed. I have compassion for anybody with a drink problem, but once they get behind the wheel and endanger the lives of innocent people they deserve all they get.
Mike – I’m exceedingly glad that (hopefully) you aren’t part the judiciary that will consider “The quality of his concern & medical advice far out-way his crime”.
Would you be stating that if you or a loved was a victim of drink driving?
Pompous and deeply insensitive.
You would not be thinking let alone saying this if he had killed a member of your family that night, he deserves all that he gets.
Alleged driving problem ? Alleged ? judicial empathy ? My,my you do know some long words.
No excuse, he deserves to receive the full penalty of the law and will have to live with his guilt for the rest of his life. On a personal note he has been a great doctor for me, I couldn’t have asked for better and I hope the law or his own personal decision will allow him to remain my doctor.
I think having run away he deserves to be severely punish.As an aside which I know isnt anything to do with this ,I found him probably one of the most useless doctors I have ever seen,rude and couldn’t be bothered.He could have killed people, it wasnt just a little over the limit, he was 3 times .Maybe he should sit down with Mr and Mrs Staley ,8 years after their little Evey was killed by another thoughtless idiot . If as it would appear,he has a drinking problem he is the best situation to have got help compared to most ,and to run away ! What a little coward , why does everybody think he is so wonderful? What is the difference between God and a gp? Answer, God doesnt think he is a gp! Never a true word.
I’m sorry, but I can’t agree with you. After many years of experience with Dr Henderson as my doctor, he is exceptionally expert at his job. Maybe a little short with time wasters, which on a single issue, I was guilty. But never rude, perhaps a little abrupt at times. I doubt I could keep my patience at all times with all people. Maybe, a little more understanding and compassion is required in this instance. Not necessarily a coward, just too drunk to understand the problem at the time. Let him who is guiltless…..;
I dont care how good a gp he was the point is he was drunk in charge of a killing machine and very lucky that wasnt the outcome.
To think he is an inteligent individual who should have known better is an understatement so why should he be treated any different from other idiot drink drivers.
He deserved all that he got, next stop for him is the medical council where he will be struck off from practicing and once again he deserves all that he gets.
I think doctors are suppose to save lives not put them in danger
He is one of the most kindest supportive and considerate doctors that I know. Yes he has made a serious error of judgement by his behaviour but he is such a workaholic I know. So many people make judgment as to what he has done without knowing any facts as to why he put himself in this situation, knowing the consequences as we all do. We all make mistakes some worse than others and no matter how people feel there is a lot of hypocrisy coming from some people. No this isn’t acceptable and fortunately no one was hurt but knowing this doctor I’m sure he is totally devastated at what he has done and I hope that we don’t lose him as our GP
We all make mistakes ! A mistake is boiling a wool jumper, this idiot could have killed people , oh but he is a doctor so it must be ok , whilst backing out and digging my cap !
It does not matter how good he is at his job. This behaviour is simply unacceptable. If you want to get as drunk as a lord for whatever reason, either do it at home, or book a taxi to get you back there.
GP, MP, OBE human fallibility
Best Dr I have ever had, lets all be kind please, he spends his life helping all of us, none of us can understand whats going on in his personal life.ife as we don’t know…This man is under so so so much pressure, a brilliant man and I for one stand behind him..after all which of us hasn’t made mistakes in our lives?
Oh that’s ok then, imagine having pressure in your life.Get a grip please.
This is a shock
He is a great gp
Remember that next time he asks you how much you drink.
What a pillar of the community no hope for younger generations
Would people be defending him, if he had killed or injured someone. ?
I Doubt so. !
He is the best Dr in the centre a lovely man a great doctor u never know what te circumstances for his actions were.Easy to condem without knowing the facts.Please God he doesn’t retire the rest of the Dr up there couldn’t lock his boots
The facts are: he was intoxicated, then proceeded to operate a vehicle (which is you know, ILLEGAL), crashed, then fled the scene. Which of these facts is too hard for you to understand?
It seems very out of character for a GP to hit the bottle like that. There must have been some extreme sort of trigger to set him off.
From my own experience of watching people, those who don’t normally drink much have a considerably lower tolerance to a binge.
Their behaviour becomes much less rational and their capabilities are much reduced.
Imagine the effect on a person of the situation which prompted them to drink magnified by the alcohol. It all becomes rather irrational.
Now add in the collision and see how horrified and confused the person feels.
They’ve never put themselves in such a wrong situation before.
Fleeing makes perfect sense to them at that point.
They now suddenly realise the terrible situation their stupid behaviour has put them in.
I’ve encountered a number of people who don’t normally drink much, behaving completely irrationally, while regular drinkers are actually in much better control of their actions.
Yes. It is absolutely unforgivable. They will, rightly, be punished severely, in so many ways.
Just for the record, I do know what I’m talking about. In the late 60’s early 70’s I ended up as a passenger with badly drunk drivers on five occasions. None of the drivers was known to me. The last one of those resulted in a car being totally destroyed in what was fortunately a single vehicle collision. We actually climbed from the wreckage unharmed and walked home!
Hitching at 3am is not a good idea.
I speak personally of the horror of facing death in the face, caused by drink driving. Don’t do it.
So when the woman who crashed into the stream at Coppins was found to be drunk driving everyone was screaming for her to lose her job, boycott the place of employment if she continued to work, condone her behaviour because drink driving is wrong etc BUT now we have a doctor who is a ‘decent man‘ we should not judge… blah blah blah!
I’m sorry one rule for one and one for another just goes to show we still have a class base system where ‘educated professionals’ are better than the rest!! This is wrong on so many levels. It angers me that the public are this way! If you drink and drive you are completely to blame for your own downfall and he has lost any respect! I believe he should lose his job too just like you all called for the woman too last year!!
You are wasting your time with these people who insist on ‘protecting’ this drunken gp’s behaviour. I just cannot understand why they think his crash in a car 3 times over the limit and running away is o.k. because he is a wonderful doctor in the eyes of some. He should be punished accordingly like anybody else would. First of all take his drivers license off him for a minimum of 3 months and the surgery he attends should give him a 3 month sabbatical whilst he is ordered to attend an alcoholics clinic to try and sort him out. I’ll state again that there is no excuse for what he did. Very very lucky no other car or people involved.
I agree… I think it’s really sad that we are called ‘keyboard’ warriors for pulling people up on their double standard views!! There should be no tolerance for drink driving whatever your age, colour, race, religion, level of education, income, gender etc
When you get in a vehicle having had a drink you are at risk of causing serious harm if not killing someone or yourself!
All of these stating that he has done more good in his life than harm are laughable… are they suggesting we give him a number of chances to undo all this so called good!
I will never condone drink driving no matter who it may be and I just hope these people supporting him never suffer at the hands of a drunk driver killing or seriously injuring a member of their family!! I truly do not hope they experience the devastation it causes.
Is hilarious, the keyboard warriors can’t help themselves can they?
Am Sure this guy has done more good in his life than the rest of all of them combined!
What boring lives u must have…
Yes I’m sure those who have suffered the devastating consequences of a drunk driver will find those condoning the behaviour laughable!! You and those like you who only offer class based opinions should have to tell the next family that they have lost a loved one because of a drunk driver… then let’s see if it’s still ‘laughable!’
The punishment is too harsh!
Snowflake, you wouldnt be saying this if he had killed or injured a member of your family.
He knows what he has done a lot of wrong and will be paying for it for the rest of his life why doesn’t everyone stop talking about it not going to make any difference just leave it alone like a dog with a bone so unfair enough said
Can you believe was his defense was in court! He said he wasn’t use to drinking alcohol! Now, given he’s a doctor you would have thought he would be fully aware of the effects of alcohol, whether he was a drinker or not. As a man of science you would think he was smart enough to be able to count how many drinks he has had.
It makes it worse that he said he was not use to alcohol, if he had been a hardcore drinker he may have mistakenly thought he could handle it.
Also, as a respectable person did he think it was fitting to have urinated against the well of the car in public.
This man makes judgments every day about impaired abilities , and is in a position where he makes decisions that effect people’s lives….. But he can’t make a conscious decision about how impaired he would become from drinking that amount of alcohol.
An eye witness said he was kangarooing down the road prior to the crash and the spoke to him and tried to take his keys away ….. Should be struck off . I agree that doctors are also only human …… But to knowingly consume that amount of alcohol and then not have the mental capacity to realize that getting behind the wheel was putting lives at risk?
I can believe that he offered his excuse to try and wriggle out of the obvious fact that he was 3 times over the limit and done a runner. Wasn’t used to alcohol. Liar,liar pants on fire. Still be interesting what the courts decide what punishment they hand out. No excuse whatsoever for his behaviour.