Harlequins doctor found not guilty of deceiving others
Dr Wendy Chapman will be breathing a huge sigh of relief this afternoon after she was found not guilty of deceiving others into believing Tom Williams sustained a genuine blood injury.
The Bloodgate scandal which rocked English rugby union in April 2009 has continued to cast a shadow over Harlequins, but it appears that the doctor at the centre of the controversy will not be struck off as first feared.
Although sanctions could still be handed out at a later date, the court ruled today that there was nothing to suggest her actions had been premeditated.
The notorious incident occured in Quins' 6-5 Heineken Cup defeat against Leinster last Spring, and resulted in head coach Dean Richards receiving a three-year ban from the sport.
Chapman, who has been suspended from her full-time job at Maidstone hospital in Kent since the incident, admitted to cutting Williams’ lip, but only after she had initially refused to carry out the action.
Only at the “repeated request” of the player did she attempt to make the cut, but Chapman was adamant that her actions were not designed to deceive others.
Williams made it clear that this was the case while giving evidence. He admitted that the doctor was "not happy about it", and revealed that the atmosphere was "extremely tense" at the time.
The General Medical Council (GMC) proved the case against Chapman on all the other charged she admitted to, but it’s now believed that Chapman is unlikely to face further punishment.
The Aviva Premiership outfit will be hoping this draws a line under an issue which has indeterminably tarnished the club’s reputation.
And as for Chapman, she’ll be hoping for exactly the same after a nightmare 16 months.
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