Western Australia’s ambulance service says there’s no evidence any patients were impacted by a paramedic who was caught stealing powerful painkillers from their stores earlier this year.
Lee Headland, 39, pleaded guilty in the Bunbury Magistrates Court on Thursday to one count of stealing as a servant.
Headland was working at the Australind substation in WA’s South West.Credit: Hannah Murphy
He managed St John WA’s substation in the Australind region, in the state’s South West, when fellow paramedics noticed vials of fentanyl had been tampered with.
Headland was arrested and charged with the theft of $1312 worth of fentanyl over a two-month period between March and May.
This masthead understands the fentanyl was replaced with saline – a mix of water and salt.
However, this masthead does not suggest Headland was responsible for swapping the drugs.
He was stood down from St John after his arrest, and is no longer with the service.
On Friday, a St John WA spokeswoman said the service had reviewed the impact of Headland’s conduct and said there was “no evidence” patients were injected with saline rather than painkillers.
“A clinical audit was conducted by St John WA at Australind Station within the identified period of concern,” she said.
