Flasher pharmacist from Oadby banned from job for year

A pharmacist who exposed himself to two teenage girls and committed an indecent act in front of a woman has been suspended.

Fateh Kumar Patel (58) regularly walked naked around his house in Berkeley Close, Oadby, and held a sign up reading "I like your pretty panties", which was witnessed by people outside his home.

He had worked as relief pharmacist in various branches of Boots in Leicester for 30 years.

Patel was convicted of eight counts of indecent exposure in 2010 and the General Pharmaceutical Council yesterday suspended him from the profession for a year.

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The panel decided not to strike off Patel, who now works in a call centre, because he had responded well to rehabilitation and quit his job and reported himself for misconduct.

Police initially took no action when a woman complained he was performing a lewd act in full view of her.

But he was eventually arrested and pleaded guilty to eight counts of indecent exposure, at Leicester Crown Court on July 1, 2010.

He was given a community sentence, made to sign the sex offender register for five years, ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and forced to undergo a rehabilitation programme.

Panel chairman Siobhan Goodrich said: "When in his own home he walked around naked and exposed himself to [the victim].

"Police obtained statements from two others.

"Such sexual misconduct, albeit at the lower end of the scale, is very serious."

Patel said he carried out the acts at a time when he was "experiencing difficulties in his marriage".

His wife and daughter gave statements supporting him and was described as hard-working by his new employer.

Ms Goodrich said: "He did not return to pharmacy and does not intend to do so because of the effect his conviction would have on public confidence in the profession.

"We considered his remorse is complete, profound and, above all, sincere.

"Nonetheless, we considered issuing a warning would be wholly insufficient to maintain public confidence in the profession."

The panel said it would be disproportionate to permanently remove Patel from the pharmaceutical register.