A Hong Kong-born doctor has admitted to disguising himself as a nurse and attempting to murder his mother’s long-term partner by injecting him with a poison-laced fake Covid-19 vaccine. The crime was committed in an apparent attempt to resolve a bitter dispute over inheritance, a British court heard.
Dr. Thomas Kwan, 53, used his medical knowledge in a chilling plot to eliminate his mother’s partner, Patrick O’Hara, in the northeastern city of Newcastle. Kwan reportedly donned an elaborate disguise, complete with a fake beard, hairpiece, and medical attire, before administering the dangerous injection that led to the victim suffering from a life-threatening flesh-eating disease. O’Hara, now in his seventies, had been in a relationship with Kwan’s mother, Jenny Leung, for over two decades, complicating matters in an already strained family dynamic.
The court heard that the root of the murderous plot stemmed from an inheritance dispute. Kwan’s mother, Jenny Leung, who is also known as Wai King, had made provisions in her will to allow her partner O’Hara to continue living in her home after her death. This arrangement enraged Kwan, as it meant that the property would not pass to her children, including him, until after O’Hara’s death. The house, which was central to the dispute, was reportedly worth a substantial amount.
Prosecutor Peter Makepeace outlined the strained relationship between Kwan and his mother, highlighting that they had become estranged following disagreements over her plans to leave the house to O’Hara. Kwan’s resentment intensified as he realized that he would be unable to claim the property until O’Hara’s passing, prompting him to orchestrate a dangerous and calculated plan to hasten that outcome.
Kwan’s premeditated attack involved months of meticulous planning and a series of elaborate ruses. Prosecutors revealed that Kwan, a respected medical professional and partner at the Happy House Surgery in nearby Sunderland, used his expertise and access to medical resources to carry out the crime.
The court was told that Kwan first sent a forged letter to O’Hara, which appeared to come from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). The letter falsely informed O’Hara that due to his age, he was eligible for a home nursing visit. This was followed by another fake letter, which stated that an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccination had been arranged at his home.
On January 22, 2024, Kwan arrived at the couple’s home posing as a community nurse. Wearing a surgical mask, gloves, tinted glasses, and a hat to further obscure his identity, Kwan adopted a broken English accent to avoid recognition. Despite O’Hara and Leung’s suspicions, they allowed him into the house, believing he was there to administer the vaccine.
Kwan performed a medical questionnaire and even checked both O’Hara and Leung’s blood pressure, further lulling them into a false sense of security. He then injected O’Hara with a substance that caused immediate and severe pain.
The injection, which authorities later described as containing a “noxious substance,” had devastating consequences. O’Hara was initially treated with antibiotics after the injection site became inflamed, but his condition rapidly deteriorated. He was eventually diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare and life-threatening flesh-eating disease that spreads quickly through the body’s soft tissues. O’Hara’s condition became so severe that he was admitted to intensive care, where he remained for several weeks fighting for his life.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a highly dangerous bacterial infection that can lead to organ failure, amputations, or death if not treated aggressively. While doctors worked tirelessly to save O’Hara, they faced significant challenges, particularly due to Kwan’s refusal to cooperate with authorities regarding the substance he had used in the injection.
Prosecutors explained that Kwan had become “obsessed” with researching deadly poisons in the months leading up to the attack. His internet history revealed searches for substances such as ricin, arsenic, cyanide, and various nerve agents, which he reportedly considered using to carry out his sinister plan. His extensive medical background and access to chemicals meant that he was well-versed in the effects of toxic substances on the human body.
Initially, Kwan had denied charges of attempted murder. However, following the prosecution’s opening statements last week, Kwan changed his plea to guilty. His defense lawyers had little choice but to advise him to admit to his actions in the face of overwhelming evidence, including the forged documents, the disguise, and his internet searches for lethal poisons.
Kwan had already pleaded guilty to a separate charge of administering a noxious substance. Prosecutor Makepeace emphasized the elaborate nature of Kwan’s plot, describing how Kwan had gone to extraordinary lengths to deceive his victim and carry out the attack without being detected.
Christopher Atkinson of the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) noted the exceptional level of premeditation involved. “Over several months, Kwan obsessively planned a way of gaining access to his victim, which involved the use of counterfeit documents, a shell company, and elaborate disguises to obscure the potentially lethal role he was to play in these events,” he said.
Atkinson also underscored the lasting physical and emotional damage inflicted on O’Hara. “While the attempt on his victim’s life was thankfully unsuccessful, the effects were still catastrophic. The chemical injected caused increasingly severe damage, beginning with burns and blisters around the injection site and progressing into a potentially life-threatening flesh-eating disease,” Atkinson explained.
In a further twist to the case, it was revealed that Kwan had created a shell company and obtained counterfeit documents to facilitate his plot. These measures were designed to ensure that his true identity would remain hidden, and the blame would fall on an imagined healthcare worker. Prosecutors argued that the lengths to which Kwan went demonstrated the extent of his determination to carry out the murder.
Despite his medical training and knowledge of poisons, Kwan showed no remorse for his actions during the investigation. When police questioned him about the substance he had injected into O’Hara, Kwan remained silent, refusing to offer any information that could assist medical staff in treating the victim. This silence allowed O’Hara’s health to further deteriorate before the correct diagnosis was made.
Kwan, who is married and has a son, remains in custody and will face sentencing on October 17. His shocking admission has stunned both the medical community and the public. The UK’s General Medical Council (GMC) confirmed that a doctor named Thomas Kwan had graduated from the University of Newcastle in 1996, though it was not immediately confirmed whether this individual and the defendant were the same person.
The case has raised significant concerns about trust in healthcare professionals and the lengths individuals may go to in the pursuit of personal gain. As Kwan awaits his sentencing, legal experts predict that he will face a lengthy prison term for his calculated and cruel attempt to take a life over an inheritance dispute.
Patrick O’Hara, who narrowly survived the attack, is still recovering from the severe physical and psychological trauma caused by the attempted murder. His relationship with Jenny Leung remains intact, though it has been severely tested by the ordeal. O’Hara’s life has been irreversibly changed by the events, and he continues to undergo treatment for the long-term effects of necrotizing fasciitis.
As the court prepares to sentence Kwan, O’Hara and Leung have expressed relief that justice is finally being served. In a statement released through their legal team, they thanked the medical professionals who saved O’Hara’s life and acknowledged the support they have received from friends, family, and the community.
