Poison plot GP Thomas Kwan jailed for 31 years

The 53-year-old has today (November 6) been jailed at Newcastle Crown Court for 31 years and five months after admitting trying to kill Patrick O’Hara in an extraordinary plot over money. 

"Money-obsessed” Kwan planned the murder bid for months, writing fake NHS letters and creating a disguise, which even fooled his own mother. 

Thomas Kwan's disguise (Image: Northumbria Police)

At a previous hearing, the 72-year-old victim told the court that the fake jab made it feel as though his arm was "on fire" - and that he should have died. 

Mrs Justice Lambert, sitting at Newcastle Crown Court, said: “It was an audacious plan to murder a man in plain sight and you very nearly succeeded in your objective.”

The court heard how Kwan developed a deep knowledge of poisons before the incident, which took place after the fake NHS letter offered Mr O’Hara a home visit in January.

The fake NHS letter (Image: Northumbria Police)

Kwan travelled up to Newcastle and stayed in a Premier Inn under a false name before visiting his mother's house in a long coat, flat cap, surgical gloves and wearing a medical mask and tinted glasses - with pictures released showing his “amateurish” disguise. 

He spent 45 minutes at the property, carrying out medical tests on Mr O’Hara and even checked his unsuspecting mother’s blood pressure when she asked him to.

Mr O'Hara - who described his experiences going "to hell and back" in court - told how he felt an "instant, excruciating pain" following the jab. 

After a few days of pain he went to the GP and received medication and anti-biotics that didn't seem to stop the problem - and after being admitted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, was informed that he had a flesh-eating disease. 

Patrick O'Hara (Image: owen humphreys)

Mr O’Hara needed weeks of hospital treatment and plastic surgery after having some of the flesh on his arm removed, and said the attack left him “a shell of an individual”.

He responded with stoicism to his physical suffering, the court heard, but he has since developed post-traumatic stress disorder.

Motivated by greed

Kwan was motivated by greed to carry out the plot after finding out that his mother, Jenny Leung, had made a will which allowed Mr O’Hara to stay in her home should she die before him.

Thomas Kwan (Image: Northumbria Police)

Mrs Justice Lambert told the Sunderland-based GP that he was "certainly obsessed by money and more particularly, the money to which you considered yourself entitled" - adding that she no doubt tried to kill Mr O'Hara for financial gain.

The couple have split up since her son’s attempt on his life.

Peter Makepeace KC, prosecuting, said at a previous hearing: “The motive for this attempt to kill was to remove an impediment to his inheritance.”

The “strained and difficult” relationship between Kwan and his mother has later laid bare in court, where it was explained that Ms Leung, who had left her house to her children, had changed her will to give Mr O’Hara a life interest in the property. 

There was even an incident in 2022 where Kwan burst into his mother's home, on St Thomas Street, to pester her about finances. 

She called the police and officers gave Kwan a warning - but Ms Leung did not want to damage his career by taking things further.

Kwan's home swarmed after CCTV tracks him to Teesside

As previously reported, officers swarmed Kwan's Ingleby Barwick home in February this year as part of the major investigation. 

The £400,000 Brading Court mansion became a hive of activity as police, fire, and ambulance crews filled nearby streets with vehicles. 

Pictures taken at the time showed how police had erected several tents in the garden of the home - with blue-suited investigators then spotted at the scene. 

After turning attention to his garage, they discovered an array of dangerous chemicals which the GP had amassed, and then later  found instructions on how to make the chemical weapon ricin on his computer.

Officers at Kwan's Ingleby Barwick home earlier this year (Image: Terry Blackburn)

The swoop on the Ingleby Barwick home occurred after officers scoured CCTV to track down Kwan, still disguised as a nurse, back to a city centre hotel and then to Teesside.

Kwan was arrested at his home - with newly released footage showing the exact moment he was put in handcuffs while in his pyjamas.

Following searches on his computer subsequently found a ‘poisoner’s handbook’ and a book on guidance for murder investigations, which had both been downloaded

Several files regarding poisons to kill a person and ideal poisons to use to evade detection were also uncovered on his computer.

Further enquiries found that Kwan had installed spying software on his mother’s computer as a way of monitoring her and her then-partner’s computer usage for a period of over a year.

Police at the scene (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

It was first thought he had used ricin on Mr O’Hara but a poisons expert said iodomethane, which is used in pesticides, was more likely.

Kwan chose the poison as it would be difficult for medics to detect, the judge said.

Assessing his dangerousness, Mrs Justice Lambert told Kwan he displayed “distorted thinking”, a sense of entitlement and a “capacity for most extreme behaviour in order to meet your own needs”.

The judge said he had a “morbid obsession” with toxic chemicals.

A senior Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyer also previously said how Kwan he did nothing to help medics trying to save Mr O'Hara from the flesh-eating disease, refusing to give details when questioned by police.

The Northern Echo reporter Alex O'Leary returned to the scene of the incident last month to speak with residents about their "pure shock" surrounding the case. 

They argued that it was "like something out of a Netflix thriller happening next door" - describing the initial 999 response on 6 as "unbelievable".

After Kwan was arrested, he was charged with attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He pleaded not guilty to these offences – but did admit a charge of administering a noxious substances.

Kwan went on trial last month and changed his plea to guilty after the prosecution opened the case against him. He was remanded in custody following his guilty plea.

Paul Greaney KC, defending, said the GP was previously of positive good character, and had “ruined his life”. 

He returned to the same court today, where he was sentenced to 31 years and five months years in prison.

Mrs Justice Lambert said he still posed a risk to both Mr O’Hara and his mother Jenny Leung - who have since separated - and imposed a restraining order preventing him from having any contact with his victim.

Patrick O'Hara outside of court (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

Following the hearing, the officer in charge of the case, Detective Chief Inspector Jason Henry, of Northumbria Police, said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to reiterate our praise for the victim in this case.

Read how this story unfolded:

• Fake NHS note forged by would-be killer GP was part of murder plan
• Police return to Thomas Kwan's home in Ingleby Barwick
• Sunderland murder plot GP 'did nothing to help medics save victim'
• Sunderland GP admits attempted murder of mother's partner
• Ingleby GP Dr Thomas Kwan Covid jab victim speaks out
• GP who tried to kill mother's partner faces 35 years in jail

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“We are extremely grateful to him for his co-operation throughout our complex investigation and hope that now the man who poisoned him has been jailed he can begin to move on with his life.”

Detective Chief Inspector Henry added: “Thomas Kwan spent time meticulously planning how he would carry out this offence and cover his tracks.

“However, thanks to the assistance of the victim and witnesses, and the hard work of our dedicated officers, we managed to piece together what happened, ensuring he was brought to justice.”