A delivery driver has admitted stealing more than £4,000 worth of the drug Ozempic from his employer to treat an eating disorder, a court heard on Monday.
Peter Daniel appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to taking more than 30 boxes of the drug from pharmaceutical wholesaler Cencora Alliance Healthcare. The company distributes critical medicines to hospitals and local pharmacies.
The court heard that Daniel, an employee of 23 years with a previously unblemished record, was caught on security cameras following an internal investigation. Between April 17 and May 5, several customers filed complaints about missing deliveries of the medication. CCTV footage showed Daniel removing Ozempic packages from distribution pigeon holes.
Police executed a search warrant at Daniel's home in South London and discovered 34 missing boxes of Ozempic in his kitchen refrigerator, with an estimated retail value of £4,080. Prosecutor Michael A’Herne argued for a high level of culpability, citing a breach of trust, and noted that medication could be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Defending solicitor Mohammed Bismillah said Daniel was using the medication to self-treat an unspecified eating disorder and not for commercial gain. He urged magistrates to consider a community-based sentence given Daniel's immediate guilty plea. Daniel spoke only to confirm his details and enter his plea.
Magistrates adjourned the case for pre-sentencing reports. Daniel is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28.
