Illegal dentist is jailed

Fraudster was a ‘very believable conman who weaved a complex series of lies’

28 September, 2016 / infocus
 

The first dentist in Scotland to be successfully prosecuted for practising illegally has been jailed for five-and-a-half years for fraud and actual bodily harm (ABH).

Greek dentist Ronnie Barogiannis was fined £500 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in September 2013 for working as a dentist while not registered with the GDC. He then moved to Hull and worked under the false name and GDC number of a former employee from Scotland. Between August 2013 and October 2014, Barogiannis was paid a total of £48,844 for his illegal work at the practice.

In January this year, a European Arrest Warrant was issued to bring Barogiannis back to the UK from Sweden on charges of false representation and assault occasioning ABH. On 27 May, he pleaded guilty to the fraud charge and on 28 July to four counts of assault at Hull Crown Court, which heard that the dental treatments he provided to several patients were so poor that he left them with permanent damage to their teeth and gums.

On 16 September, Barogiannis was sentenced to five and a half years imprisonment.

Detective Constable Lucy Khan, who led the investigation, said: “This was a very complex case where hundreds of people were treated by Mr Barogiannis and they believed he was a registered dentist who had their best interests at heart. This was a massive betrayal of trust and they were shocked as the details emerged during our conversations with them. I am sure they’ll be delighted that he is now serving a substantial amount of time
in prison.

“It is clear from the investigation that Barogiannis was a very believable conman who weaved a complex series of lies to ensure he could work illegally as a dentist. I hope that the jail sentence will prevent others from operating as bogus medical professionals.”

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