MELBOURNE, July 2 (Bernama) -- A Malaysian neurosurgeon told a Sydney court
this week that he realised his drug and sex addiction was "spiralling out of
control" when a 22-year-old prostitute, Victoria McIntyre, died from a cocaine
overdose in his Sydney apartment.
"I made a big mistake and the whole thing snowballed completely out of
control," Suresh Nair, 43, is quoted by "The Australian" newspaper as telling
Downing Centre District Court, Sydney, on Thursday.
"There was a part of me that recognised things were out of control...but
there was another part of me that chose to ignore that rational part of my
mind."
A second prostitute, Suellen Domingues-Zaupa, 23, died in the same
circumstances nine months later, in November 2009.
Nair told his sentencing judge, Robert Toner, "If I had handled things
differently and been honest with myself, I feel very strongly that nothing would
have happened with Suellen."
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SURGEON-MALAYSIAN 2 MELBOURNE
In its report, The Sydney Daily Telegraph said former colleague and
prominent neurosurgeon Charlie Teo defended Nair''s previous good character.
Dr Teo told the court he held Nair in extremely high regard despite the
charges against him.
"I have a public profile...but I felt very strongly that Suresh was a good
person and people needed to know that," Dr Teo said.
Having visited him twice in jail, Dr Teo said Nair was "very remorseful."
Dr Teo described Nair as "awkward socially" but said his patient care and
skills as a brain surgeon were exemplary.
Nair has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Domingues-Zaupa, and one
count of drug supply relating to the death of McIntyre.
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SURGEON-MALAYSIAN 3 (LAST) MELBOURNE
Nair has been suspended by the New South Wales Medical Board and is awaiting
deregistration after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Domingues-Zaupa and
two drug-supply charges, one related to McIntyre''s death.
Since being remanded in jail 18 months ago, Nair has been the victim of a
vicious assault, which resulted in the loss of some vision.
He also faces deportation to Malaysia because he does not hold Australian
citizenship despite migrating here in 1980 at the age of 11.
Nair''s barrister, Peter Hamill SC, said his client''s "dreadful, debilitating
addiction" had resulted in a "tragic waste; the waste of the lives of the
victims...there''s also the awful waste of Nair''s incredible talents, 20 years of
work down the drain."
But Judge Toner disagreed, saying Nair was not an addict, but a "binge
cocaine user" and there was "one dead body too many."
Nair will be sentenced on Aug 12.
-- BERNAMA
NDC NAK JS