A Delivery Driver Admits Stealing Ozempic for Personal Use
A delivery driver has admitted stealing more than £4,000 worth of weight-loss medication Ozempic from the pharmaceutical wholesaler he worked for to treat an eating disorder, according to court proceedings. Peter Daniel, a 62-year-old from Croydon in South London, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court and was charged with stealing over 30 boxes of the drug from his workplace.
Daniel had worked for Cencora Alliance Healthcare for 23 years and had previously maintained an unblemished record at the company. However, his actions came to light after a customer reported that part of their order was missing. Upon checking CCTV footage, company bosses discovered that Daniel had taken boxes from pigeon holes that were not assigned to him.
The thefts are believed to have occurred between April 17 and May 5 this year, with the complaint made on May 13. During the court hearing, Michael A’Herne, the prosecutor, stated that Daniel’s role as a delivery driver involved collecting packs from his designated pigeon hole. However, the CCTV footage showed him taking products from multiple pigeon holes.
Police conducted a search of Daniel’s home and found 34 boxes of Ozempic in his fridge, valued at £4,080. Each box was estimated to be worth £300. A’Herne emphasized the potential danger of these medications falling into the wrong hands, stating they could be harmful if used without proper guidance or prescription.
A’Herne also mentioned that the company experiences up to 15,000 missing parcels each month, costing around £300,000. He suggested that Daniel may have contributed to these figures. Despite this, Daniel has five previous convictions, all dating back to before 1991.
Mohammed Bismillah, Daniel’s defense lawyer, highlighted that the defendant had an “unblemished” record at the company and was using the medication to treat an unspecified eating disorder. Bismillah argued that Daniel’s actions were for personal use rather than commercial gain and requested a community sentence, considering Daniel’s early guilty plea.
During the court appearance, Daniel, who wore a blue sports full-zip jumper and a grey t-shirt, only confirmed his name, age, address, and entered his plea. According to his LinkedIn profile, Daniel began working for what is now Cencora Alliance Healthcare in 2002. His responsibilities included safely delivering pharmaceuticals and healthcare products across assigned routes, maintaining accurate delivery records and inventories, ensuring compliance with company policies and health and safety regulations, and providing professional and courteous customer service.
The chair of the bench, Brij Kalia, informed Daniel that he would be sentenced on July 28 to allow for a pre-sentence report. “We are not in a position to sentence you today as we need some more information about you,” Kalia said. “We will come back to court for sentencing and that will include all options including going to the crown court if required.”
Daniel was granted unconditional bail, and the sentencing was adjourned for reports. The next court date is scheduled for July 28 at the same location.
