A delivery driver has admitted stealing more than £4,000 worth of the weight-loss medication Ozempic from the pharmaceutical wholesaler he worked for, using the drugs to treat an eating disorder, a court has heard.
Details of the Theft
Peter Daniel, 62, from Croydon, South London, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with stealing over 30 boxes of the drug from Cencora Alliance Healthcare, a distributor of medicines and healthcare products to pharmacies and hospitals. The thefts occurred between 17 April and 5 May 2026, after customers complained they were missing deliveries of the popular medication.
Prosecutor Michael A’Herne told the court that Daniel, who had worked for the wholesaler for 23 years, was caught on CCTV taking Ozempic out of different pigeon holes. Police later searched Daniel’s home and found 34 boxes of Ozempic worth £4,080 in his fridge, with each parcel’s retail value estimated at £300.
Breach of Trust
Mr A’Herne said Daniel was charged with the highest degree of culpability due to the “high-degree of trust” placed in him as a delivery driver. He added: “Medication could be dangerous in the hands of someone that doesn’t know how to use it or prescribe it.”
Mohammed Bismillah, defending, said Daniel had an “unblemished” record at the company and was using the weight loss medication to treat an unspecified eating disorder. “He was using the items for his own use, not commercial gain,” Mr Bismillah said, asking magistrates to consider a community sentence in light of Daniel’s early guilty plea.
Court Proceedings
Daniel, who wore a blue sports full-zip jumper and a grey t-shirt, spoke only to confirm his name, age, address and enter his plea. Sentencing was adjourned for reports and will take place on July 28 at the same court.
