A veteran intensive care nurse who claimed he repeatedly stole sedatives from a Sydney hospital because he wanted to “get rid of rats” has been cleared of using the drugs to poison his wife.
Ugendra Singh, 46, was charged in May 2020 with a string of offences, including the theft of sedatives from Liverpool Hospital and the alleged poisoning of his wife Joytika Lata at their home in Hebersham.
After Singh initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, police withdrew the poisoning charge and he agreed to plead guilty to domestic violence and larceny charges.
According to court documents, Singh stole 12 vials of Propofol after he finished his shifts in the ICU unit at Liverpool Hospital on May 3 and 4, 2020.
An intravenous anaesthetic, Propofol is used to sedate hospital patients and people who are intubated, like those with Covid who require ventilation.
A day after Singh stole the Propofol, court documents state Ms Lata complained she was dehydrated and agreed to let him inject her with saline.
After the injection, Ms Lata slept for five hours and shared a meal with her husband of 18 years when she woke.
The couple started arguing a short time later and Singh slapped Ms Lata in the face.
When police arrived at the couple’s home to arrest Singh, 12 empty vials of Propofol were located along with tourniquets, cannulas and syringes.
Singh claimed he stole the Propofol in a bid to deal with a rodent infestation at his property, court documents state.
After Singh’s arrest he spent more than six months remanded in custody before he was granted bail.
On Tuesday he appeared in Mt Druitt Local Court where he received convictions for two counts of larceny and one count of domestic violence-related common assault.
Magistrate George Breton said Singh committed a “gross breach of trust” when he stole the Propofol.
“You should have understood that trust was provided to you over 18 years as an intensive care nurse,” he told Singh.
“To suggest, as has been suggested by you, that you’d taken it home to get rid of rats, beggars belief.”
“You haven’t committed any offences for about 18 years. Why it is you decided to go the other way after all this time is beyond me.”
Singh was handed a nine-month community corrections order for the domestic violence offence and two 12-month orders for the larceny charges.
As part of the orders, Singh must undergo treatment foxjmtzywr anger management, a domestic violence offender program and mental health treatment.
An apprehended violence order to protect Ms Lata was enforced for two years.
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