Case Updates: Sentencing of Jealous MP and Thieving GP

An update on a couple of cases previously reported in the Magistrates' Blog which have recently been sentenced.

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Claudia Webbe, 56, of Islington, London, was convicted of harassment at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 13th October 2021.

Harassment is an offence under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. It has a maximum penalty of 26 weeks' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction.

The MP for Leicester East had previously denied allegations that she conducted a course of harassment against Michelle Merritt, who is a close friend of her current partner Lester Thomas.

Webbe was convicted by the Chief Magistrate, Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring, following a two-day trial. You can read more about the case against Webbe in our earlier article.

Webbe has been sentenced to 10 weeks' custody suspended for 2 years, with an unpaid work requirement of 200 hours.

She was also ordered to pay £128 surcharge and £3,000 towards prosecution costs.

Webbe has announced her intention to appeal the conviction and she has 21 days from the date of sentencing in which to submit the necessary application.

Such an appeal involves an entire rehearing of the trial, which may well play to Webbe's advantage given Judge Goldspring's observation that she hasn't been entirely "cogent, coherent or truthful" in her evidence to the lower court. I'll not make any further comment on that aspect!

The appeal will be heard by a Crown Court Judge (or Recorder) sitting with two Justices. Each member of the appeal bench has an equal vote in decision making.

A recall petition will be triggered in the Leicester East constituency should the appeal be dismissed. Webbe remains an MP until such time.

Update (26/5/22): Webbe's appeal against conviction has been dismissed.

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Rumi Chhapia, 45, of Lennox North Road, Southsea, was convicted of fraud by abuse of position when he appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 22nd September 2021.

You can read more about the case against Chhapia in our earlier article.

Fraud by abuse of position is an offence under section 4 of the Fraud Act 2006. It has a maximum penalty of 26 weeks' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction; 10 years' custody and/or an unlimited fine on conviction on indictment.

Chhapia, formerly a GP with Portsmouth's Portsdown Group Practice, was a director of Portsmouth Primary Care Alliance Limited - a group of 16 general practices providing out-of-hours care in the Portsmouth area.

He was left in sole charge of the company's accounts when a fellow director was signed off sick last summer. During his 41 days in charge Chhapia stole £1,133,704.50 of company funds.

Chhapia appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday, 5th November 2021, where he was sentenced to 40 months in custody.

HHJ Keith Cutler CBE, sentencing, told Chhapia: "You were dishonest and were seduced by your addiction to gambling.

"Over six weeks there were 65 separate occasions you transferred money into your own account. You knew you should not be doing it.

"When questioned in the middle of it all you fobbed off your colleagues about bank problems but still continued to take money with the last withdrawal on September 28."

Chhapia's previous good character and reputation as a physician were noted, as was the fact he had repaid £238,000.