Children’s doctor, 40, is struck off after hiding £100,000 salary in 12 different bank accounts to avoid paying child support for nine-year-old son following ‘horrible split' with ex-wife

A wealthy children's doctor has been struck off after he hid his £100,000-a-year salary across 12 different bank accounts to dodge paying child support for his nine year old son.

Paediatrics specialist Dr Collen Nkomo, 40, lived in a luxury apartment and was earning up to £10,000 a month whilst working as a locum GP and also looking after poorly youngsters at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

But the father of three was secretly dodging his family responsibilities at home and repeatedly lied to the Child Support Agency about his income to avoid paying £40,800 in maintenance over a two and a half year period.

The CSA began investigating after suspicions were raised when Nkomo said he was unable to make payments to the child's mother with whom he had split.

Inquiries revealed the doctor was earning £115,000 over one 15 month period and had over £126,000 being transferred across his six Halifax and six HSBC accounts during his work for various medical organisations. He subsequently admitted earning £30,000 in just three months.

Dr Collen Nkomo, 40, from Manchester, failed to pay more than £40,000 in child support despite earning £100,000 a year and hiding his money across 12 accounts

In 2017 Zimbabwean-born Nkomo who lives in Altrincham, Greater Manchester was given a 20 prison sentence suspended for two years after he admitted fraud.

Last week the medic was ordered to be erased from the medical register after a disciplinary said his conduct was 'calculating and persistent.' He has since attended a course for 'separated parents' and is now paying off the arrears at £500 a month. He has since married another woman.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester was told the fraud took place between April 2013 and November 2015 after Nkoma split up with the child's mother who lives in Coventry.

Lawyer for the General Medical Council, Robin Kitchin said: 'Over a 15 month period, he provided information to the Child Support Agency knowing it was false. 

'He was receiving money in his accounts from a business whilst saying that he couldn't make payments. He also said he was looking for regular work in the UK whilst living in Zimbabwe.

'It was found that he had six bank accounts with Halifax, and six bank accounts with HSBC. He was earning over £100,000 across work and his business over that time. He had over £126,000 being transferred across his personal accounts and had been working for agencies in the UK.

'The amount of money owed built up to £40,800.'

Nkomo who has unrelated conviction for failing to provide a specimen of breath told the hearing how he had endured a 'horrible split' with his ex-partner and claimed he failed to make required support payments as he had been denied access to his son.

He said: 'I was frustrated at not being able to see him although I know this is not an excuse for what happened.

Nkomo said he had endured a 'horrible split' from his ex-partner and claimed he failed to make required support payments as he had been denied access to his son

'I am appalled at my behaviour. I applied for mediation as things with my ex partner were difficult. I would travel to Coventry to be told I couldn't see my son. I asked for evidence that he was in the country and said I would be happy to pay if he was - but she did not do this.

'It was not my intention to not pay, I was just trying to get access to my son. I realise just because I was not seeing him I should still have paid but I was not running away from paying for my son - it was about getting contact with him.

'For most of his life I would see him through a car window or I couldn't take him to the park, I couldn't do things that fathers and sons do. I have three children and stooped way too low.

'Being a father, being a religious person, more importantly being a doctor, I stooped way too low. It has lowered my expectations of myself and I should not have lied. That is not me. I did not go about this the right way at all and I am ashamed of this.

'My eldest son is nine, I am still trying to get contact with him and planning to go through legal processes again. I am going to preservere, he is my son, I will do whatever it takes.

'I attended a separated parents course which gave me an insight about what emotions different parents go through. I understand the importance of paying and I realise I need to focus on my family and not a fight. I have now been honest in my relationship and my work, and tried to be a changed person.'

Nkomo's lawyer Stephen Chinnery said: 'He accepts what has happened and regrets it all. He is very sorry and was going under extreme stress at the time with access to his child being difficult. This is not an excuse but puts it does explain the context of the offences. He attended a course and has had time to reflect to make sure this never happens again.'

But panel chairman Mr Russell Butland said: 'Dr Nkomo's actions were dishonest, calculated and persistent. He continued his dishonest actions for approximately two years and seven months, and he accrued approximately £40,800 illegally by his dishonest interactions with the CSA, having had multiple opportunities to declare his true status.

'The Tribunal concluded Dr Nkomo's actions and his criminal conviction have had the effect of bringing the profession into disrepute and betraying the public's trust in the profession. The public expects doctors to open and honest in all financial dealings.'

Mr Butland added: 'When questioned on whether his employment income and dividends recorded as paid in his 2016/2017 tax return represented all of his locum income earned, the tribunal was sceptical that Dr Nkomo's evidence as to his income was accurate.

'Dr Nkomo estimated that he worked for 46 weeks in that tax year as a Locum GP, usually for three or four days each week

'When questioned as to how much he earned per month as a locum Dr Nkomo sought to avoid answering the questions, even saying he was unable to give an estimate.

'Eventually he stated that he had earned approximately £30,000 in the last three months, a figure potentially inconsistent with his assertion that he only earned £43,000 in the entirety of the 2016/2017 tax year.

'The Tribunal was concerned by these potential inconsistencies, and by Dr Nkomo's attempts to evade questions on his income.

'Erasure is the only sufficient sanction which would maintain public confidence in the profession and send a clear message to the profession and the public that Dr Nkomo's misconduct constituted behaviour unbefitting and fundamentally incompatible with that of a registered doctor.'