A Peterborough pharmacist who stole thousands of sleeping tablets from his employer has been sentenced.

Between September and December 2021, Khurram Abbas, 30, was found to have placed orders for 110 boxes (3,080 tablets) of temazepam – a form of sleeping tablet and class C prescription only drug – from City Pharmacy in Lincoln Road, Millfield.

A senior member of staff received an email from a supplier about an order and became suspicious due to scams directed at pharmacies, but it was confirmed the orders had been placed over the phone.

An internal investigation by the pharmacy identified Abbas as being responsible for placing the orders and he was suspended from the company.

On December 17, 2021 he was questioned as to why he had placed such large orders and where the stock was as it could not be accounted for.

Initially claiming it was simply a mistake, further evidence was put to Abbas who then admitted ordering and stealing the drug over three months, resulting in his dismissal from the company and the matter being reported to police.

He was arrested at his new place of work – another pharmacy – on March 3 last year and a subsequent search of his home uncovered £2,230 in cash.

Abbas, of Cambridge Avenue, Millfield, appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on January 26  where he was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for 18 months, ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,500 in court costs, after previously pleading guilty to theft by employee.

He denied a charge of being concerned in the supply of class C drugs – namely temazepam, which will lie on file.

Detective Constable Kevin Poole, who investigated, said: “Temazepam is a class C drug and a prescription only medicine which can therefore only be legally prescribed or supplied by a registered practitioner via a pharmacy.

“This was a sophisticated offence where Abbas abused a level of trust by his employer, using his position as a pharmacist to place large orders of the drug and steal them.”