A delivery driver has admitted stealing more than £4,000 worth of the weight-loss medication Ozempic from the pharmaceutical wholesaler he worked for to treat an eating disorder, a court has heard.
Peter Daniel, 62, from Croydon, South London, appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Monday and was charged with stealing more than 30 boxes of the drug from his workplace. He had been employed by Cencora Alliance Healthcare for 24 years and previously had an unblemished record at the firm.
His crimes came to light when a customer complained that part of their order was missing. Company bosses then reviewed CCTV footage, which showed Daniel taking boxes from pigeon holes that were not assigned to him. The thefts occurred between April 17 and May 5 this year, with the customer lodging the complaint on May 13.
Michael A'Herne, prosecuting, stated: 'The complainant in this matter drove medication to various pharmacies such as Boots and others. On May 13, a customer said they were missing refrigeration materials and therefore CCTV was checked.' He added: 'The defendant stated that in his role as a delivery driver he would collect packs from his pigeon hole, but on CCTV he could be seen to swipe several products from several different pigeon holes.'
Police searched Daniel's home and discovered 34 boxes of Ozempic in his fridge, with a total retail value of £4,080, each parcel estimated at £300. Mr A'Herne noted that Daniel was charged with the highest degree of culpability due to the 'high degree of trust' placed in him as a delivery driver. 'Medication could be dangerous in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use it or prescribe it,' he added.
The prosecutor also revealed that the company experiences up to 15,000 missing parcels per month, costing £300,000, and suggested that Daniel may have contributed to those figures. Daniel has five previous convictions, though all date from before 1991.
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.
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. According to his LinkedIn account, he began working for what is now Cencora Alliance Healthcare in 2002, describing his responsibilities as safely delivering pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, maintaining accurate records, ensuring compliance, and providing professional customer service.
Chair of the bench, Brij Kalia, told Daniel that sentencing would be adjourned until July 28 to allow for a pre-sentence report. 'We are not in a position to sentence you today as we need some more information about you,' he said. 'We will come back to court for sentencing and that will include all options including going to the crown court if required.' Daniel was granted unconditional bail.
