Cancer Fraudster 'Disgusting'

Cancer victims are likely to have been 'disgusted' by the actions of a consultant surgeon who defrauded almost €750,000 from insurance companies through a false breast cancer claim.

Jailing Dr Emad Massoud (52) for four years today, Judge Patrick McCartan said there were many people in this county who "suffered bravely" from cancer either as victims or dependants and they would "be disgusted" by the actions of the Massouds.

Massoud and his wife, Gehan Massoud (45), a nurse, were convicted by a jury last month following a three week trial for what Judge McCartan described as "a particularly evil and nasty offence".

Judge McCartan imposed a three years sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Gehan Massoud which he suspended because he said he didn't want both parents of their family to be incarcerated at the same same.

However, Judge McCartan said their offence was at the higher end of the scale and done "simply to satisfy the greed of two people well cabable of supporting their family".

The court had been told that the Massouds used a tissue sample from Gehan Massoud's mother who had just been diagnosed in Egypt as having breast cancer and claimed that the tumour had been taken from her.

Judge McCartan commended Detective Sergeant Declan Daly, who led the investigation, and his colleagues on the way they compiled, presented and prepared the evidence, which he described as "frankly overwhelming".

(BMcC)