'Wannabe doctor', 19, who gave fake jab to patient is spared jail

A teen posing as a doctor to 'live out her dream' and give a patient a jab of an 'unknown substance' has avoided jail.

Kreuena Zdrafkova, 20, conned a patient, who was guarded by two police officers, into thinking she was a medic called 'Dr Christina'.

She then gave the patient a fake jab at Ealing Hospital in West London on April 19, the Sun reports.

The Bulgarian migrant, then aged 19, targeted the patient who had been brought into the hospital under arrest with CCTV showing her introducing herself to the officers while wearing blue medical gloves.

Zdrafkova, of Uxbridge Road, Ealing, spoke to the officers while the victim was laying unresponsive before administering a syringe of an unknown substance into the patient's mouth.

On the same day, she was also seen examining needles elsewhere in the hospital and letting herself into an ambulance. 

Joe Weeks, prosecuting, said when it became clear to the officers that Dr Christina did not exist, they began to search for the person who treated the victim.

Three days later, Zdrafkova returned to the hospital wearing a stethoscope but was quickly arrested on her arrival.

It was heard at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday that Zdrafkova had 'always dreamt of being a doctor'.

She admitted to common assault and was given a 12-month community order and faces 15 days of rehab activities. 

Zdrafkova was also handed a ban from entering any NHS premises unless it is an emergency. 

Harry Stallard, defending, told the court how Zdrafkova had only recently moved to the UK and that she had been a child bride, marrying at 14.

The couple have two twins, aged six, with Mr Stallard saying as the result of becoming a mother at a young age that she 'missed out' on some education opportunities. 

He added that Zdrafkova had been 'compassionate' in her treatment of her 'patient'.

Mr Stallard said: 'She's talking to him, leaning down, almost reassuring him and providing the treatment.

'At one point she even has a tissue and is wiping his face. It really is almost living out her dream of being a doctor.'

He went on to blame the NHS for allowing someone to gain access 'so readily' to patients labelling it as a 'concern'.

Judge Fiona Barrie described the victim as 'vulnerable' and 'intoxicated' saying it was lucky the patient was not badly hurt.

She added that the victim believed he was being treated by a qualified doctor and it could have caused 'considerable psychological harm'.

The judge said it was 'evidently planned' and claimed that Zdrafkova had undermined the integrity of the NHS by pretending to be a doctor saying that patients should feel 'safe and secure'

When passing sentence, she acknowledged Zdrafkova's age and the 'lack of maturity and naivety' as well as the 35 days spent behind bars while in custody.