In a stunning fall from grace, a former NHS consultant surgeon has been handed a prison sentence for orchestrating an elaborate £1.2 million insurance fraud that involved faking a catastrophic accident leading to the amputation of both his legs.
Mohammed Suhaib Saeed, 43, once a respected member of the medical community, was sentenced to three years behind bars at Southwark Crown Court after being found guilty of fraud by false representation.
The Elaborate Deception
The court heard how Saeed, previously employed at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, took out numerous critical illness and income protection policies in the months leading up to the alleged incident. He then claimed that a horrific car jacking in August 2020 left him with such severe injuries that both legs required surgical amputation.
Prosecutors revealed the shocking truth: Saeed had instead arranged for the amputations to be performed electively at a private hospital in Birmingham, deliberately inflicting these life-changing injuries to support his fraudulent insurance claims.
A Web of Lies Unravels
Insurance investigators became suspicious when discrepancies emerged in Saeed's story. The former surgeon claimed he was attacked while returning from a shift, yet no evidence of such an incident was ever found by police.
Detective Chief Inspector James Price of the City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department highlighted the severity of the crime: "This is one of the most extreme cases of insurance fraud we've encountered. Saeed deliberately mutilated himself to exploit insurance policies, betraying his position as a trusted medical professional."
Professional Consequences
The conviction has ended Saeed's medical career. He has been suspended from the medical register since March 2022 and will face a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing to determine whether he should be permanently struck off.
The case has sent shockwaves through the medical community, raising questions about the pressures facing healthcare professionals and the extreme lengths some might go to for financial gain.
Saeed was found guilty of two counts of fraud and one count of possessing criminal property. In addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to pay £29,216 in prosecution costs.
