'My husband stole £600k for sex and antiques' - drug side effects tearing families apart
Frances had only just arrived at work when she received a phone call that turned her life upside down. Police officers had arrested her solicitor husband Andrew over allegations he was defrauding clients - and were searching the family home they shared with their two children.
Andrew's office, in a leafy village south of Manchester, resembled a scene from a TV drama - cloaked in yellow crime tape, staff in shock and records being boxed up. His legal practice held power of attorney for many elderly people with dementia, but the police discovered that hundreds of thousands of pounds of Andrew's clients' money were missing. Officers later found he had spent the funds on adult webcam sites, sex workers, and antiques.
That was 12 years ago. A resulting court case revealed that Andrew's impulsive behavior was caused by medication prescribed for Parkinson's disease. He stole from 13 clients, all but two of whom were over 80 and some unwell, with a combined total of £600,000 taken from their accounts. Tragically, one 87-year-old client died shortly after the theft, leaving her estate unable to cover her funeral expenses.
Frances reflected on the fallout: People didn't want to know us, and I can understand that entirely. Their daughter, Alice, mentioned that her father never forgave himself for his actions, which ultimately led to tragic consequences.
The issue is part of a broader pattern seen in families where impulsive behaviors stemming from medications known as dopamine agonists have ruined lives, leading to compulsive gambling, shopping, and sexual acts at great financial costs. These drugs are commonly prescribed for various conditions, including Parkinson's disease, and are documented to cause impulse control disorders in approximately one in six patients.
Despite regulations requiring doctors to warn patients about the risk of impulsive behaviors, many families report being inadequately informed. Frances and Alice moved away from their village, but the pain of their past remains palpable. I had my life taken away from me: my home, the community I lived in, but above all my son, says Frances, highlighting the devastating impact on their family's life.
This is not just a story about one family; it showcases the collateral damage caused by medications that are inadequately managed. Families devastated by such actions face significant hurdles to seek justice or compensation for losses incurred through their loved ones' impulsive behaviors while under medication. It remains an urgent issue that prompts calls from health officials for reform and better monitoring systems to protect future patients and their families.
