NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal cancels registration of doctor Leoncio Antonio Bello

A former Sydney doctor has been banned from practising in Australia after he masturbated a patient in his bedroom despite knowing he had “crossed ethical boundaries”.

Fairfield Hospital. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

A former Sydney doctor has been banned from practising in Australia after he masturbated a patient in his bedroom despite knowing he had “crossed ethical boundaries”.

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal cancelled Leoncio Antonio Bello’s registration as a medical practitioner last month, when it found him guilty of professional misconduct, unsatisfactory professional conduct and breaching professional boundaries with a patient.

The medical practitioner, who worked for NSW Health from 2004 until 2019, when he was suspended, cannot apply for a review of the ban for 18 months.

The Health Care Complaints Commission, which brought the case against Bello, told the tribunal the doctor had given his personal mobile number and home address to a male patient he had treated at the Fairfield Hospital emergency department in November 2019.

The tribunal’s decision states Bello admitted that, when the patient subsequently attended his home within hours of being discharged, he “masturbated (the patient)” as the man laid on his bed.

Leoncio Antonio Bello. Picture: Facebook

Bello was charged with sexual touching without consent and prohibited drug possession after officers also found steroids at his home the following day.

He was later convicted of both charges in the NSW Local Court, where he was sentenced to an 18-month intensive corrective order.

Fairfield Hospital. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

However, during an appeal in the District Court in 2022, his conviction and sentence for the sexual touching charge was quashed.

His drug possession conviction was also quashed, notwithstanding a finding of guilt, with a judge electing to dismiss the charge without conviction on appeal.

In the subsequent NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal case, Bello’s conduct with the patient was found to be an “exploitation of the power imbalance between them”.

The tribunal’s decision said the patient was “vulnerable” when he received treatment in the hospital from Bello for a possible sexually transmitted infection.

Fairfield Hospital grounds. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

Bello was also found guilty by the tribunal of failing to notify the Medical Board of Australia within seven days of being charged with criminal offences, and again after being found guilty.

The tribunal said the outcome of his subsequent District Court appeal “did not excuse Bell from the obligation to have reported the conviction”.

Bello, who was living in the Philippines at the time of the tribunal hearing in August, was also ordered to pay the Health Care Complaints Commission’s costs.