Accused death doctor Ziad Kawa told a court today

Accused death doctor Ziad Kawa told a court today (Fri) of his ‘sadness’ when he learnt a teenager had died after overdosing on methadone.

Kawa, 58, is said to have prescribed Dean James, 17, the deadly heroin substitute which he was later seen swigging out of the half litre bottle.

The prosecution claim the doctor was grossly negligent when he allowed Dean’s friends to collet the methadone and a bottle of temazepam – tranquillisers which the teenager had previously used in a suicide bid.

Kawa insists he did not prescribe the drugs to the two friends and his lawyers have argued that the prescription must have been altered from a previous date.

In a voice straining with emotion, Kawa said he was horrified when police came to question him over the death at the Harlow hostel.

‘If I can use this phrase, I was shattered,’ the
grey-haired doctor said.

‘As I have already hinted yesterday, Dean James was somehow different to the rest of the patients I treated for drug addiction.

‘He never posed any threat or showed disobedience or abused me.

‘On the contrary he was polite, courteous obedient and cooperative.

‘I genuinely felt that hopefully we were going to have a very fruitful cooperation in weening him
off the medication he was taking.

‘I whole-heartedly believed in that and when I learnt of his death I was saddened, not only for the fact he died so young, so prematurely but for the disappointment as well, of my hopes in not fulfilling treating him as a patient.

‘It came as a big disappointment and shock.

‘

Mr Kieran Coonan, defending, asked Kawa: Did you ever prescribe drugs to him on September 9 without seeing him?’

‘No,’ Kawa replied.

Kawa of Wychford Drive, Sawbridgeworth, Herts, who practiced at Harlow’s Addison House surgery denies manslaughter.

The trial continues.

ends