In a tale that seems ripped from the pages of a thriller novel, Dr. Thomas Kwan, a seemingly “respected and experienced” British family doctor, has confessed to a chilling plot to murder his mother’s partner with a fake COVID-19 vaccine.
Kwan, who had a borderline “obsession” with poisons, disguised himself as a community nurse to gain access to his mother’s long-term partner, 72-year-old Patrick O’Hara, under the pretense of administering a booster shot.
According to BBC, Prosecutor Thomas Makepeace described Kwan’s plan as “audacious” and “stranger than fiction” during the proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court in northeast England, shedding light on the disturbing motivations behind his actions.
Here’s a closer look at the shocking case.
Kwan’s sinister plot
Prosecutors said 53-year-old Kwan went to “extraordinary” lengths to disguise himself and prepare the attack at the victim’s Newcastle home on January 22.
Kwan, who is a general physician from Sunderland, located roughly 24 km from Newcastle, sent two fake doctor’s letters stating that O’Hara was due for a home visit for his COVID-19 injection.
“The plan was to disguise himself as a community nurse, attend O’Hara’s address, the home he shared with the defendant’s mother, and inject him with a dangerous poison under the pretext of administering a Covid booster injection,” Makepeace said.
He then checked himself into a hotel under the false name of “Raj Patel” at 2:45 am on the day of the visit, before later heading to his mother Wai King also known as Jenny Leung’s house posing as a nurse.
Makepeace said Kwan forged documentation, used a vehicle with fake licence plates, and disguised himself with head-to-toe protective clothing, tinted glasses, and a surgical mask to visit the victim’s home, AP reported.
“As I suspect, would any of us, Mr O’Hara fell for it hook, line and sinker,” the prosecutor said.
Kwan then allegedly spent 45 minutes at the property as he carried out medical tests and used his “encyclopedic knowledge” of poisons to administer the fake booster to O’Hara, the prosecutor added.
Soon after the pesticide-filled injection was given, O’Hara felt a “terrible pain”, and went to the hospital where doctors diagnosed him with a “rare and life-threatening disease” known as necrotizing fasciitis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains this as a “flesh-eating disease” that “can develop very quickly into a life-threatening emergency”. The initial symptoms include “fever, severe pain, and an infection that spreads quickly.”
O’Hara later spent several weeks in intensive care as part of his arm was cut away to stop the infection from spreading.
As per BBC, Kwan had also installed spyware on his mother’s computer so he could monitor the couple’s activities online and take pictures of them using the built-in camera without their knowledge.
He was identified with the help of surveillance camera footage. Police who searched his home found a range of toxic chemicals, including arsenic and liquid mercury, as well as castor beans which can be used to make the chemical weapon ricin, AP reported_._
Christopher Atkinson of the Crown Prosecution Service said Kwan had refused to identify the poison, “allowing the victim’s health to further deteriorate.”
“While the attempt on his victim’s life was thankfully unsuccessful, the effects were still catastrophic,” he said.
What was the motive?
Kwan’s motive for this heinous act appears to be rooted in his obsession with money and inheritance.
Reports indicate that his mother, Jenny Leung, had arranged for her partner, O’Hara, to inherit her home, allowing him to remain there after her death. Only upon O’Hara’s passing would the estate transfer to her children.
This decision reportedly caused “strain” in Kwan’s relationship with his mother, as he saw O’Hara as “a potential impediment” to his own inheritance, according to Sky News.
At first, Kwan denied charges of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm with intent, admitting only to administering a toxic substance. But as the trial continued, he changed his plea, admitting to the attempted murder charge. Jurors subsequently recorded a formal guilty verdict.
His lawyer, Paul Greaney KC, stated that Kwan “entirely” understood prison was “inevitable” and was eager for swift sentencing. Now, as the court prepares, Kwan awaits the full consequences of his disturbing plan.
With input from agencies
