DO's deception too serious for return to Opticians Register

A former DO who was given a suspended jail sentence for obtaining nearly £10,000 from his employers, Specsavers, by deception has failed in his bid for a place on the student optometrist register.

The GOC's registration appeals committee told Dipak Chawda that his dishonesty was particularly serious and if it allowed him on to the register it would undermine public confidence in the profession.

The hearing was told that 26-year-old Chawda committed the offence at a time when he was 'distraught' over his father's need for a heart by-pass operation and about four recent deaths in his family.

He had used the money to pay for his father's operation though the hearing was told that he has since paid it back to Specsavers.

He was charged and pleaded guilty at Stratford Magistrates Court on May 6 2005 to forgery, obtaining by deception and making a false instrument. He was given a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years.

Last week, in refusing him permission to be put on the student optometrist register, committee chair Margaret Hallendorff told him: 'The offences were serious involving a large amount of money and grave breach of trust.

Offences of dishonesty are particularly serious and we have concluded in this case that it would undermine public confidence in the profession.

'We also note that the suspended sentence is still operative until May 2007.

'We were troubled by the absence of clear corroborative evidence to support a number of the appellant's contentions. Whatever the reasons for committing the offences, the Court found that they justified a custodial sentence albeit suspended for two years.

'We find it impossible in the circumstances to say that this appellant is fit to undertake training as an optometrist.'
Chawda was registered in 2002 as a DO, but was removed from the Opticians Register three times over non-payment of fees.