A doctor has been jailed for perverting justice after faking text messages and screenshots to sabotage his flatmate’s relationships.
Javed Saumtally, 28, was jailed for 15 months by Judge Jeremy Gold at Brighton Crown Court this morning (Monday 18 October).
Saumtally’s dishonesty included forging bogus emails from the police to support a jealous campaign focused on his flatmate after their brief relationship ended.
And after hearing from a trainee nurse, who was arrested three times and kept in custody as a result of Saumtally’s lies, Judge Gold said: “It’s a real tragedy.”
But the judge said: “I have to make it clear to anyone who behaves as you did – forging emails from police officers is going to result in a sentence of immediate custody, however eminent the defendant may be.”
The case came to court only after one of the victims appealed against a decision not to prosecute, with the judge praising his tenacity.
The victim said that he was suspended from his nursing course and couldn’t even turn to his family during his ordeal which lasted more than a year.
He added: “How could I tell my parents that I’d been arrested when they didn’t even know that I was gay.”
On one occasion he was kept in the cells for 15 hours and had to wait almost two months for the return of his phone and laptop.
Saumtally, who spent six years at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, denied perverting the course of justice but was convicted unanimously by a jury at Hove Crown Court last month.
Janet Weeks, defending, said that he now accepted his guilt and apologised unreservedly to the four men who had been affected by his obsession with his former partner Ben Gough.
His trial was told that Saumtally was “devious”, “determined” and “technologically adept” in spinning a web of lies.
Saumtally, who has been working as a GP (general practitioner) in Ipswich, created bogus screenshots and a false report to police, jurors were told,
During the trial, Jonathan Atkinson, prosecuting, said that Saumtally was “motivated by his own feelings” for Mr Gough. They first met when they were living in Brighton.
Mr Atkinson said that Saumtally set about “sending abusive and derogatory messages from unknown numbers” to his flatmate.
He also sent messages to himself, Mr Atkinson added, “no doubt to make it look like he was also a victim and to deflect attention away from him.”
Saumtally, of Berners Street, Ipswich, denied faking text messages when he gave evidence at his trial and denied that he was jealous of Mr Gough.
He said that he and Mr Gough had been clear that Saumtally was eventually moving to Ipswich and that the relationship had an end date.
In his closing speech, Mr Atkinson said: “He was devious, he was determined and technologically adept.
“He had the means throughout these incidents. He created false exhibits and he lied to police.”
But Judge Gold said: “I’ve read a number of impressive references. It’s one of the tragedies of this case.
“You are a highly able young man – a qualified doctor – and no doubt worked hard to achieve success in your chosen field.”
He said that Saumtally had a record of helping others and added: “It only goes to emphasise the stupidity of your actions.
“It’s a tragedy that I should have to deal with you for such a serious offence.”
But Saumtally’s “unhealthy obsession” with his former partner led to another man being arrested despite “having done nothing wrong”.
Judge Gold said: “There was a cloud of suspicion hanging over his head for many months.
“That was all down to your malice towards this man who you had met on only one occasion.”
Sussex Police said that Saumtally had “spent six years at Brighton and Sussex Medical School before qualifying in 2017, worked as a junior doctor in Brighton before going to work at a hospital in Ipswich”.
The force said: “As well as sending abusive messages to his unsuspecting friend, Saumtally even invented a police officer as part of the deception.
“He carried out an 18-month campaign of harassing and threatening messages to his best friend, culminating in the summer of 2018.
“He allowed his trusting friend to believe that this abuse was the work of the friend’s ex partner.
“Saumtally continued this harassment, aware of how severely the ordeal was affecting his friend’s wellbeing, encouraging him to leave Brighton and move to Ipswich to live with him.
“Saumtally was aware that his flatmate’s ex-partner, a completely innocent man, had been arrested twice by police and kept in custody on both occasions.
“This young man, an ex-Ghurkha soldier of impeccable character, almost lost his job as a result, and his training as a military nurse was interrupted for months.
“In July 2018, Saumtally’s flat-mate, by now in Ipswich, began a new relationship, again with a man of impeccable character.
“Saumtally then set about sabotaging this relationship. With the use of convincing spoofing technology, and faked emails from non-existent police officers, he persuaded his flatmate that the young man was cheating on him. He also reported this young man to Suffolk police for harassment.
“In September 2018, his flatmate began another new relationship with yet another young man of impeccable character.
“Again, Saumtally set about sabotaging this relationship, using fake screenshots and anonymous accounts. Saumtally again reported this young man to Suffolk police.”
Police Investigator Rose Horan said: “Javed Saumtally was right at the centre of each incident.
“He went to enormous lengths to perpetrate an intricate deception. He was devious, manipulative and technologically adept.
“His motive appears to have been an obsessive jealousy of his flatmate’s relationships and a dogged determination to sabotage each and every one.
“Suspicions arose after Saumtally’s evidence to both Suffolk and Sussex Police was scrutinised and found to be entirely faked.
“We were able to uncover a duplicitous and ruthless web of lies.
“We will always follow up reports of stalking, also giving victims access to sources of further support and advice.”
