LONDON — British doctor Thomas Kwan, 53, has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his mother’s partner, Patrick O’Hara, by administering a fake COVID-19 vaccine containing poison. Kwan disguised himself as a nurse to inject O’Hara, allegedly motivated by concerns over his mother’s will, which left her home to O’Hara should he outlive her.
The incident, which occurred in Newcastle, left O’Hara with necrotizing fasciitis, a severe bacterial infection. Kwan, a Sunderland family doctor, used false identification, a wig, and fake car plates to carry out his plan. He admitted to administering a noxious substance during his trial at Newcastle Crown Court and is set for sentencing on October 17.
Prosecutor Peter Makepeace noted that Kwan leveraged his knowledge of poisons and initially refused to identify the toxin he used, worsening O’Hara’s condition. Christopher Atkinson from the Crown Prosecution Service described the attack as “catastrophic” despite its failure to end O’Hara’s life.