Two motoring offences - driving a car while disqualified
and driving while uninsured - have resulted in the Statutory Committee directing
the removal of a pharmacist's name from the register. At its meeting on July
12, the committee inquired into the case of Mr Paulash Faizal Haider, of 5 Raintree
Court, Cusworth, Doncaster. Information had been received that at Doncaster
magistrates court on July 13, 1999, Mr Haider had been convicted of driving
while disqualified and without appropriate insurance. Mr Haider, who had pleaded
guilty, had been fined £300 with £40 costs and ordered to do 120 hours' community
service. On September 29, 1999, at the same court, Mr Haider had pleaded guilty
to and been convicted of driving while disqualified. For that offence, he been
sentenced to two months' imprisonment, which was reduced on appeal to 12 months'
probation. Mr G. R. F. Hudson, of Pennington's (solicitors), appeared in order
to present the facts of the case to the committee. Mr Haider was present at
the hearing but was not represented. The committee heard that the first offence
arose when Mr Haider, who was at the time disqualified from driving, was stopped
by a policeman for a routine check while driving to work and his disqualification
discovered. He was arrested and interviewed. When asked whether he knew what
being disqualified meant, he had replied that he did. Some weeks later, after
Mr Haider had appeared in court in connection with that offence, the same policeman
had recognised him driving a different car. He was again arrested and interviewed.
He had agreed that he was aware that he should not have been driving on a public
road.
Short time
Giving the committee's decision, the chairman (Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, QC)
said the committee had to regard seriously the fact that the convictions came
together within such a short period of time. Mr Haider had himself said that
he recognised that what he had done was not compatible with what a profession
stood for, and that was correct. His references had spoken highly of his professional
behaviour as a pharmacist. However, the committee had to be sure that professional
high standards were maintained and it could not conclude that he had maintained
them in this matter. With some regret, said the chairman, the committee directed
that Mr Haider's name should be removed from the register. He had three months
in which to appeal.