Dartford: Pair Jailed For Drug Scam

6 November 2013, 14:32 | Updated: 6 November 2013, 15:10

Two former Dartford health clinic employees who illegally sold appetite suppressants to people across the UK have been sentenced at court.

Lisa Casey, 52, of Bridge Road, Slade Green, and Tracey Walsh, 50, of North End Road, Erith, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday 5 November and were given 18 months each in prison.

The pair pleaded guilty to four offences of possession with intent to supply and supply of class C controlled prescription drugs, phentermine and diethylpropion.

Their sentences have come following investigations by officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate who found Casey and Walsh had been employed at a slimming clinic in Lowfield Street, Dartford.

When the duo left the business in July 2012, they contacted the drug manufacturers who supplied the clinic and sent them forged prescription orders to obtain the drugs.

They then sold them by mail order to customers throughout the UK and Ireland without any medical supervision and against government regulations.

Detectives found Casey and Walsh had obtained in excess of 110,000 appetite suppressant tablets over a period of 10 months before police intervention dismantled their illegal £100,000 operation.

Appearing at Maidstone Crown Court on 5 November, Casey and Walsh were each sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Passing sentencing, His Honour Judge Statman, said the prescription drugs in the case were both habit forming and addictive.

Senior investigating officer Detective Sergeant Ady Brown said: "Casey and Walsh had set up their clinic with no safeguards or medical supervision.

"The profit available to them was substantial and they progressed with no regard to their customers' healthcare and showed a total disregard to the Home Office regulations in respect of the supply of these prescription drugs."