Charged With Impersonating Doctor

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30004, 13 December 1962, Page 14

Charged With Impersonating Doctor

(Neu> Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, December 12. Nigel Edward Dixon, aged 52, a workman, impersonated an Australian medical practitioner in a Wellington hotel bar on August 16, offering to give anyone in the bar “a shot” from a hypodermic syringe, Senior DetectiveSergeant G. Hogan told Mr A. W. Yortt, S.M., in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court today.

Dixon was remanded on bail until Friday on charges of impersonating a doctor and stealing a satchel containing a hypodermic syringe, drugs, tablets and miscellaneous medical items, valued at£7 17s 6d, the property of William Hanron Reid. Dixon pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant Hogan said the two charges arose out of a visit by Dixon to Dr. Reid's surgery on August 16. While Dixon was there the doctor became semi-conscious and an ambulance was called. The ambulance driver found Dr. Reid lying on the floor with Dixon attending to him. Dixon told the driver he was Dr. J>ixon and he had given Drt Reid some tablets to relieve his condition. Detective-Sergeant Hogan said tiheat wiien the driver returned with a stretcher Dixon was standing alongside Dr. Reid and had a hypodermic syringe in his hand. He said he had given the doctor an injection, but re-1

fused to disclose what the injection contained. After the ambulance driver left, Dixon remained in the surgery and attended to two patients, giving a prescription to one and offering the other an injection. Later that aifitemoon Dixon left the surgery taking the medical kit with him.

About 5 pm, accompanied by a woman. he visited a city hotel bar. He had met the woman ait Dr. Reid’s surgery and convinced her he was an Australian medical practitioner and that Dr. Reid was a close friend. He had Dr. Reid’s medical kit with him and claimed to all in the bar he was a doctor of medicine from Australia and offered to give anyone “a shot” of the hypodermic syringe. At 7.45 p.m. the same day he booked into a private hotel, giving his correct name, but saying he was a doctor. He left the next day, leaving the kit behind. I Police inquiries had re-

vested that Dixon was «n aWhotto and wee under the Xer.ce <rf si«*oi day the offences occurred, said Detective-Sergeant Hogan. Dixon had a lengthy list of previous convictions. The Magistrate: How did Dr. Reid get into this recumbent position? Detective-Sergeant Hogan: It wasn’t clear. The Magistrate: It wasn’t the result of any treatment from Dixon?—Definitely not. There is some reason in. his history lor the doctor’s collapse. “I’m really in difficulties over this matter,” said Mr J. H. Sheat. for Dixon. “I didn’t know until a few minutes ago what the charges would be. It's an unusual and curious set of circumstances and I wonder if there could be a probation officer's report.” Mr Sheat said his client certainly had a formidable list of convictions. The Magistrate said he proposed to obtain a probation officer’s report Mr Sheat said Dixon was receiving daily treatment for a condition which he understood was the aftermath of some injury.