NHS GP avoids being struck off after sending ‘revenge porn’ of married man to his wife and children

An NHS GP who sent explicit photos of a married man to his wife and family to take ‘revenge’ against him has avoided being thrown out of the profession.

Dr Jonathan Darby, 62, launched a ‘calculated’ campaign against his victim that included sending his spouse information gathered by a private investigator as well as sexual images of her husband on WhatsApp.

The long-serving family doctor even arranged for lewd photographs to be posted to the man’s children, a tribunal heard. 

He was convicted of revenge porn at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court in October 2021 and was sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and given a two-year restraining order against four individuals.

He then faced a misconduct hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal last month which resulted in a six month suspension of his medical licence. The judgement was published at the end of last week.

Dr Darby – who retired in August of this year – also previously worked as a script advisor on popular BBC daytime drama ‘Doctors’. 

In 2015, Dr Darby gave an interview to BBC Inside Out praising the ‘great’ job and explained he was responsible for making sure the medical show was accurate and authentic.

NHS GP Dr Jonathan Darby, 62, (pictured) launched a ‘calculated’ campaign against his victim that included sending his spouse information gathered by a private investigator as well as sexual images of her husband on WhatsApp

Dr Darby, who qualified in 1984, worked as a GP Partner at Halesowen Medical Practice, near Birmingham, West Mids, from 1989 and had an unblemished career, the tribunal heard.

In May 2020, Dr Darby’s victim – named only as ‘Mr A’ – reported the doctor to police, complaining that letters, messages and emails featuring sexual photos of him had been sent to his family.

The nature of Dr Darby’s relationship with Mr A was kept hidden at his tribunal, however it was heard the offending related to his personal life.

A tribunal report said there was ‘clear evidence Dr Darby intended to cause Mr A distress by sending indecent pictures to his family’.

The report said: ‘Having previously forwarded material gathered by a private investigator to Mr A’s family by post, Dr Darby later discovered the sexual photographs of Mr A and copied them.

‘He sent these to Mr A’s wife via WhatsApp. He also arranged for the images to be posted to Mr A’s adult children, the report stated.

‘It was the tribunal’s view that these actions were calculated to cause distress and demonstrated premeditation.’

He admitted disclosing private sexual photos without consent, also known as revenge porn and was convicted at a magistrates’ court.

He was convicted of revenge porn at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court (pictured) in October 2021 and was sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and given a two-year restraining order against four individuals

Dr Darby then faced a misconduct hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal. 

However, the panel ruled Dr Darby’s behaviour from March to May in 2020 was ‘not so egregious’ as to warrant being stripped of his licence to practise. Instead, he escaped with a six month suspension.

Chair of the MPTS hearing, Jayne Wheat, said striking Dr Darby off the medical register would be too harsh.

Mrs Wheat said: ‘The tribunal was of the view that, given Dr Darby’s developing insight, together with the other mitigating factors… erasure would be disproportionate in the particular circumstances of this case.

‘The tribunal was satisfied that the actions resulting in his conviction were not so egregious as to warrant permanently depriving the public of an otherwise clinically competent doctor.

‘Although his insight into the circumstances leading to his conviction is not yet complete, the tribunal was satisfied that, if a similar situation arose in future, Dr Darby would not act in the same way.

‘It took the view that his reflective statement demonstrates that he is shocked at how he acted and that his regret is genuine.’

Dr Darby did not dispute that his ‘actions were aimed at taking revenge’.

He told the Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court: ‘I cannot begin to describe how much I regret this and the obvious impact this has on the wider profession of doctors*

Dr Darby (pictured) then faced a misconduct hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal last month which resulted in a six month suspension of his medical licence. The judgement was published at the end of last week

‘To say the events of the past few years have been a learning point would be an understatement; if I could go back and change what I did, then I would undoubtedly do so.

‘With the benefit of hindsight, I fully see that my actions were entirely misguided and that I let my own personal situation cloud my better judgement.

‘Clearly, as a doctor, it is vital to be able to separate one’s personal and professional life.

‘In this instance, I failed to behave in the way that I would have expected of myself as a professional and this clearly has a wider impact in terms of my standing as a doctor.

‘I have truly lived to regret this ever since. I would wish to apologise wholeheartedly to all involved in this matter. This includes not only the family of Mr A, but also my regulator.

‘I am mortified that the GMC has now spent time in investigating and preparing this case and further that the matter now also goes before the [MPTS tribunal].’

The court also heard how Dr Darby was in ’emotionally challenging circumstances’ which were ‘deeply personal’ and involved his own family, and that his ‘judgement was clouded by his heightened emotions’. 

The tribunal report stated: ‘Dr Darby told the tribunal that it has not been easy for him to make reference to Mr A in these proceedings.

‘He stated that, at the time of the events, his emotions were complex, and he was struggling.’

In his first police interview, Dr Darby insisted that he was the ‘victim’.

He later apologised to Mr A and his family, claiming he has ‘reflected a lot’ and will attend a ‘professional boundaries course’.

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