Magistrates' Court refuses jurisdiction for care home drug theft

Monday 14 June 2021

A care home worker will be committed to the Royal Court after stealing drugs from residents, including one instance of taking a fentanyl patch directly off a bed-ridden lady's arm.

Defence Advocate Liam Roffey tried to convince Judge Gary Perry to keep the case in the Magistrates' Court, where sentencing powers are capped.

Judge Perry was having none of it. “Leaving a patient in potential pain could well demand a sentence well above the three-year maximum this court can give out,” he replied. 

Pictured: Guernsey’s Magistrates' Court has limited powers and more serious offences are committed to the Royal Court instead.   

The defendant has been charged with three counts of stealing drugs from two care home residents. The woman is yet to enter a plea. 

The first charge is that a fentanyl patch was taken from the arm of a now deceased resident. The second two counts were of Tramadol and Gabapentin tablets from another resident.

A fourth count for attempting to steal Gabapentin tablets relates to when the defendant was caught in the act, after suspicions had been raised in the care home.  

Advocate Roffey briefly defended his client's actions by referring to a drug addiction and immediate admissions. However, no guilty pleas have been entered yet.

The offences are all alleges to have taken place in January this year and a committal date has been booked for 11 August.