Jeremy Chatterton, 51: Manly man convicted of pretending to be a doctor at Covid testing centre
A man who pretended to be a respiratory doctor and “examined” a young woman at a Covid test centre has been convicted. See what happened in a Sydney court
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A medical supplies salesman, who pretended to be a doctor and “examined” a young woman while he worked at a Sydney Covid testing centre, has appeared in court.
Jeremy Chatterton, 51, of Manly, felt the 23-year-old woman’s lymph nodes in her neck and asked her to open her mouth and “say ah”, Manly Local Court has heard.
Chatterton had been working as a pathology swab collector at a Covid PCR testing centre set up in the Royal Far West children’s health headquarters at Manly when he told the woman that he was a “respiratory doctor”.
He even wrote a referral for the woman, to her own GP, to have a number of blood tests done after she complained to him that she was not feeling well.
In a facts sheet tendered to court, police stated that Chatterton was on his last day at work when he examined the woman after he had been sacked for impersonating a doctor on another occasion.
Chatterton pleaded guilty to one count of not being a registered health practitioner take/use title and one count of common assault.
In the facts sheet police stated that the female victim had first visited the testing clinic on June 27 where Chatterton took nose and throat swabs before asking her “why has she come in today”.
The woman said she had not been feeling well “for a long time” and was not sure why.
He said: “Come back another time when I’m not so busy … and we can chat about it more”.
The woman returned on August 8 for a PCR test and told Chatterton she hadn’t been feeling well.
“Even though the accused’s job had been terminated that morning, he asked her more questions about her symptoms,” according to the facts sheet.
Chatterton told her to take her mask off, open her mouth and say “ah”.
“It’s a little red,” he told her.
He then felt her lymph nodes and “gently pressed around the underside of her jaw with his fingers”.
“The victim only consented to the accused touching her as she believed he was a doctor performing a physical examination,” the police stated in the facts sheet.
Chatterton then told the woman “we may as we well have a chat” as he was a “respiratory doctor”.
He asked her about her iron levels and the irritable bowel syndrome she suffered with before he said he would write her an “unofficial referral” to her own GP for blood tests.
Police said he wrote the name Dr Jeremy Chatterton on the piece of paper and said he had a clinic in Manly.
“Look, take this to your doctor,” Chatterton told the woman. “If they … don’t take you seriously, call this number for my practice. I’m not taking on new patients, but we’ve spoken, so I can take you.”
When the woman visited her GP in Manly, the doctor became suspicious and contacted police and the Health Care Complaints Commission.
Chatterton was also convicted and sentenced on unrelated charges relating to a domestic dispute in November where he made threats against family members at Cammeray.
He pleaded guilty to one count each of possess a prohibited weapon – a crossbow; custody of (four kitchen) knives in a public place and stalk and intimidate (domestic).
The court heard he was having mental health issues at the time.
In an aggregate sentence, Magistrate Robyn Denes sentenced Chatterton to 12 months home detention and placed him on an 18-month Intensive Corrections Order to be of good behaviour.
Aussie quartet make sailing history with win in women’s America’s Cup
For the first time in 174 years Australian women have set sail in an America’s Cup. How the quartet on Andoo Australia are faring as the Pool B Racing begins.
Future Olympians! Try-fectas, close calls in Next Gen 7s battles
There were blowouts, close calls, a hot boot and multiple try-fectas in the opening round of the Next Gen Sevens rugby series in Sydney. Stars, great photos and Rd 1 result wrap.