‘serious offences’ | 

Aesthetic nurse charged with fraud and selling or supplying prescription medication

Nichola Hawes (48) owns and runs Nichola Hawes Aesthetics Clinic

Today at 08:53

An aesthetic nurse from Co Down has appeared in court charged with fraud and selling or supplying prescription medication.

Nichola Hawes (48), who owns and runs Nichola Hawes Aesthetics Clinic, appeared at Newtownards Magistrates Court.

She was charged with 31 offences including 14 of selling or supplying prescription drugs, 10 of possessing medicinal products with intent to supply and seven of fraud by false representation.

None of the alleged facts surrounding the charges were opened to the court.

However, the particulars of the offences allege that between June 12, 2021, and December 20, 2022 Hawes, from the Groomsport Road in Bangor, supplied different types of prescription-only medicines including weight loss drugs, facial fillers and drugs used for local anaesthesia, while the fraud offences accuse Hawes of filling in prescriptions with the names of people “for whom no treatment was being given”.

Hawes confirmed that she was aware of the charges against.

During a brief preliminary inquiry, the legal step necessary to elevate any case to the Crown Court, a prosecuting lawyer submitted there was a prima facie case against the defendant.

That submission was conceded by defence counsel Chris Holmes who, in applying for legal aid, confirmed that Hawes was a registered nurse who earns around £1,000 net from her aesthetic clinic.

He further revealed that as a registered nurse, “she has had to report herself” to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Describing the charges as “very serious offences,” Deputy District Judge Paul Copeland granted legal aid.

Freeing the alleged fraudster on bail, Judge Copeland returned the case to Downpatrick Crown Court but he did not set a specific date for her arraignment.