Harpreet Kaur withdraws guilty plea over alleged fake health practitioner registration certificates

In an unusual turn of events a woman who allegedly practised with fake registration certificates has changed her plea in court.

A woman who was allegedly practising with a fake registration certificate has withdrawn her guilty pleas over the matter.

Magistrate Aaron Almeida struck Harpreet Kaur’s guilty pleas during a hearing at the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday following questions about the recklessness of her actions.

Kaur, 31, earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of claiming to be a health practitioner but maintained her actions were reckless rather than a deliberate attempt to mislead her employer.

Harpreet Kaur who was allegedly practising with a fake registration certificate has withdrawn her guilty pleas over the matter. Picture: Brenton Edwards

On Wednesday, during the disputed facts hearing, prosecution said it was important to clarify foundations before moving forward.

“Someone who has been tricked without turning their mind to the risk of it being false is not consistent with being reckless,” Craig Fabbian for prosecution said.

The court heard Ms Kaur maintains she fell for an online scam when she obtained the registration certificates.

A lawyer for Ms Kaur flagged at an earlier hearing there would be some legal dispute.

She had previously said Ms Kaur did not intentionally deceive her employer despite the prosecution’s allegations she went out of her way to pay for a bogus certificate of registration.

On Wednesday, she said there was a “turning point” where she became more aware that the person who provided her with a certificate was “a difficult character”.

“She just had that longing and hope that he would be genuine and would provide a genuine certificate,” she said.

“When it comes to the actual certificate, it’s part of that same line of thinking”.

Harpreet Kaur (left), leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court with her lawyer. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Ms Kaur faces a maximum penalty of $60,000 or three years imprisonment for each charge if proven.

In a an earlier statement, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation said “Ms Kaur, who has never held registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, is alleged to have provided one employer a false AHPRA certificate of registration and sent another employer an email advising she had received her Registered Nurse registration”.

Mr Fabian said defence needed to confirm whether Mr Kaur had been concerned about the possibility she was not registered and proceeded anyway.

“General concerns wouldn’t go far enough. It needs to go to the heart of the charge,” he said.

Ms Kaur, through her lawyer, applied to withdraw her guilty pleas, which were then struck by Magistrate Almeida.

Mr Almeida returned the matter to the Adelaide Magistrates Court for trial.

Ms Kaur will face court again in May.

Originally published as Harpreet Kaur withdraws guilty plea over alleged fake health practitioner registration certificates