Fraudster used fake prescriptions to net drugs worth £40,000 from Bedfordshire chemists

A fraudster who used false prescriptions to get £40,000 worth of drugs has been jailed.

Liam Brickley, 49, was able to obtain oxycodone and diazepam from pharmacies across Luton and Dunstable in Bedfordshire over a two-year period, by using 92 false prescriptions in four different alias names.

The prescriptions were made out using the names of doctors from two different GP surgeries, who were confirmed to be no longer working with their practices.

His fraudulent activities came to light in March 2022 when one of the pharmacists recognised him as someone she had served in a different pharmacy two days earlier.

She raised it with her supervisor and checks were carried out which showed that the prescriptions were false.

Brickley was then identified via CCTV and was arrested and charged with fraud offences, before being released on bail pending further inquiries.

Brickley then breached his bail conditions by offending again.

When his home address in Shropshire Close, Mitcham, Greater London, and car were searched, officers found several pieces of paper with practice signatures, along with several false prescriptions, blank prescriptions, three boxes of diazepam and a pack of oxycodone.

He was arrested again in December 2022 and was further charged with fraud and drug offences.

Brickley pleaded guilty to several counts of the use of a false prescription for a scheduled drug, possession of an article for use in fraud and possession of Class A and Class C drugs at Luton Crown Court and was sentenced to a year and six months in prison.

Det Sgt Emma Huggett from Bedfordshire Police said: "I am glad that Brickley has received a custodial sentence for his fraudulent actions, particularly as he had the audacity to continue offending even after he was caught the first time.

"Falsely obtaining such strong medication is a serious crime as you don’t know where these drugs may end up and who could be harmed because of them.

"Brickley showed that he had no remorse as he continued to fraudulently obtain these drugs, costing the NHS an estimated £40,000. I’m glad he will now be off the streets for a period of time."

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