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A CURRENT MEMBER of the Metropolitan Police has been sentenced for voyeurism before a court in London.
PC Irshad Kamal was in Southwark Crown Court where he received a non-custodial sentence.
He had previously appeared before the court and pled guilty to three counts of voyeurism on 29 January.
It is understood that the 48-year-old had filmed himself having sex with hundreds of sex workers, and that the charges related to incidents where 18 sex workers were filmed without their knowledge.
The offences happened between February 2010 and December 2012 while he was off-duty.
Kamal has been placed on the sex offenders register for the next five years and has been barred from contacting sex workers.
On top of this, he is required to complete 100 hours unpaid work; will be subject to a two-year supervision requirement; will have to pay £750 (€960) in court costs; will have to pay an additional £60 (€77) victim surcharge; and will have his computer with the offending materials destroyed (although non-offending material will be returned to him).
According to The Guardian, two of the clips were played to Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith, but were not shown in open court.
Speaking to the newspaper, one sex worker said that she was “very happy he has been placed on the sex offenders register and cannot contact sex workers any more”.
PC Kamel remains suspended pending a misconduct process by the Met Police.
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People don’t realise the seriousness of messing with epilepsy meds. Using the proper meds and the generic versions can easily mean the difference between driving and off the road for a year, may easily affect employment. Never mind the annoyance and frustration of having a seizure unnecessarily, especially if its in front of your young children who are frightened out of their minds. It’s not about saving a few bob, it’s about completely turning somebody’s life upside down.
I only visited my consultant neurologist this morning. Whilst renewing my prescription, he strongly emphasised that under no circumstances should I accept generic substitute meds from any pharmacy for the exact reasons discussed here..
totally agree here!! it can take months to get the dosage right and the last thing you want to do is mess that up!! the consequences are unthinkable
If a generic has an equivalent amount of API to the brand then why is this an issue…or is that not the case?
In AEDs it’s not the API that’s the issue but how its absorbed. Info on why generic substitution is dangerous in AEDs is available at http://www.epilepsy.ie
No pharmacist with any ethics would substitute against an epileptics wish.
Having said that the fact that this potentially serious issue has just been ignored is ludicrous and sadly typical!!
I agree – any pharmacist with a brain would not substitute a branded AED with a generic, or substitute any drug with a narrow therapeutic index for that matter. Such a delicate balance involved. Shouldn’t really be an issue, and hopefully it won’t be.
Dylan, as I understand it also relevant are the binding agents in the make up of the tablets hence the issue.
There is documented evidence.
Shameful that vulnerable people are being exploited by the state. But what is new with this Government.
@boll… actually this had been known and written about for some time. Those directly affected are aware – and I know this for a fact as it affects me.
I have already experienced being offered a substitute drug & it has being found with several patients around the country who did accept the generic it has being found to cause seizures.
Generics are IDENTICAL to name brands in their composition of the active ingredient. The only difference might be in the additives…. (speaking as someone who works in the industry)
And it’s those additives that affect the absorbtion into the body of the active ingredient. This is why it is so important that switching does not take place. Again, I refer you to http://www.epilepsy.ie for information.
The additives are the issue so therefore you can’t say they are identical.
This is 100% a non issue.
The act in question will designate which drugs are to be allowed to be generically substituted. There are ABSOLUTELY NO plans to include antiepileptic drugs in it. There is no need to EXCLUDE AEDs from it, simply because there are absolutely no plans to INCLUDE them.
In the case of most antiepileptic drugs, there isn’t any generic available anyway, but in those cases where there is, the pharmacist is well aware that substitution carries with it a slight risk of loss of control of the condition.
Ross, you are 100% incorrect in your statement that this is a non issue. Generic switching has already taken place, Epilepsy Ireland are aware of a number of cases. while not all AEDs have generics available, some do and not all pharmacists are as aware as you might think. Due to the non-action of the Government in including a safety measure in the Medical Bill, Epilepsy Ireland will now have to mount a huge information campaign to ensure that people with epilepsy and their families are aware that they should accept no substitute to their normal medication.
I have already being offered a generic drug in a local pharmacy but refused to accept it.
What does Rick O Shea have to say about this?
No..they are cheaper simply because the don’t have the brand name..compare Nike’s runners with the pennys ones they do the same job Just don’t have the Same price tag
Try running a marathon in penneys runners, you’ll be in Nikes as soon as the swelling and blisters disappear….
I’m guessing your not suffering from epilepsy then?
Eimear,
Your comparison is so wrong and over simplified.
This is quite honestly scaremongering. No pharmacist worth his/her salt would substitute a branded anti-epileptic for a generic medication on their own volition. It borders on crazy.
It has happened around the country. I was offered a substitute generic drug in Boots.
Well, I’m a pharmacist, and I wouldn’t do it. I hope you said no.
Safe to assume it’s levitiracetam or gabapentin?
There’s loads of ‘alternative’ way of treating epilepsy like marijuana, low carb diet etc. only thing that does and will work is epilepsy meds. Fact. This issue can be spoken about til the cows come home but exact meds are prescribed for a reason. If the generic versions are ‘exactly the same’ as the brands while are they so much cheaper?? Cheaper ingredients???
I’m not going to argue against the need for the branded drugs because I don’t know anything about the issue and I assume if the main epilepsy groups are against this there must be something behind it.
However the main reason that generic drugs are cheaper is that the companies selling them didn’t have to fund the R&D to develop them (which can take an extremely long time and cost a fortune). They also can put a premium price on the product as the first to market and recognised brand name
Epilepsy Ireland should be more frustrated and angered that Mirek Bingham, a 16 year old boy was under the care of a consultant neurologist who failed to recognise epileptic seizures, failed to carry out an EEG, failed to carry out neuro obs, withdrew anti-epileptic drugs and placed his patient under “minimal intervention”, after patient was rushed to intensive care with status epilepticus and 9 days later had to be rushed to intensive care again because he was left for hours in respiratory failure and status epilepticus and eventually respiratory arrest and on admission to intensive care was septic and had MRSA and was placed on a ventilator, was unconscious and fought for 3 months before his organs finally failed.
No inquiry to this date has been held into Mirek’s death, no-one in government, coroner’s, judges, state or independent agencies has permitted the full facts of this case to be examined. Surely as a society we have some decency and morale values.
Savita’s death while unacceptable and tragic, does not compare to the mistreatment Mirek underwent, yet no-one is supporting or shouting for legislation to Protect Life of Patient’s from 007′s (Medical professionals licensed to to kill).
It is clear that SAVITA’S DEATH is being used by GOVERNMENT and PRO-CHOICE groups to LEGISLATE FOR ABORTION. The only difference between Mirek and Savita, is that THE EXCUSE FOR SAVITA’S LACK OF MEDICAL TREATMENT AND DEATH WAS THAT THEY DID NOT WISH TO HARM HER BABY BY TREATING HER CONDITION.
Mirek WAS NOT PREGNANT, so why did the medical professionals DO NOTHING.
For a medical professional to put a patient under “MINIMAL INTERVENTION” is surely CRIMINAL, as it goes against THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH and the RIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE TO LIFE UNDER THE IRISH CONSTITUTION.
SO WHY IS NO-ONE SEEKING AN INQUIRY INTO HIS DEATH AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR “MINIMAL INTERVENTION” WHICH WAS A DEATH SENTENCE FOR MIREK.
Isnt it strange. All the replies re your vile comment have been removed. Why Journal????? Is it the policy to silence contributors who complain about comments?
Im pretty sure qualified doctors know what they’re doing. They wont specify by active ingredient if there is any issue with the absorbtion rates. Anyway i would assume that most epilepsy sufferers would be on some form of long term illness and hence would get them free of charge.
have your say