A dentist who stole more than £37,000 from the NHS by claiming money for treatment never given to patients have been struck off the register.
Newton Johnson was not present at the GDC hearing due to incarceration, and was not represented.
On 31 March 2008, in the Crown Court in Swansea, Mr Johnson was convicted of 20 counts of theft. The thefts took place on dates between 6 January 1999 and 6 July 2004 and amounted to £37,355.15.
Newton Johnson, 52, and his practice manager wife Judith, 51, based in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, admitted 37 offences.
Johnson admitted 20 offences of theft totalling £37,555. His wife pleaded guilty to 17 charges of theft amounting to £32,357.
He was jailed for 21 months and she was jailed for 18 months at Swansea Crown Court.
The Committee accepted the Certificate of Conviction and found the fact of this conviction and the resulting sentence proved to its satisfaction.
Previously, the court heard that the dentist claimed money from the Dental Practice Board, both for ‘phantom patients’ and treatment that registered patients had never received.
The ‘phantom’ patients even included the name of a family pet dog.
They were caught out after the Welsh section of the Counter Fraud Service investigated them following a tip-off.
The Committee considered that this was a case of very serious dishonesty and breach of trust in Mr Johnson’s professional capacity as a dentist. The Committee was concerned that, Mr Johnson had shown little or no insight or remorse into his conduct and that he took two years to acknowledge his guilt.
