A 22-year-old man has admitted fraudulently posing as a medical student for several weeks, during which he accessed hospital wards, restricted areas, and patient files at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI).
Stephen Simpson appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, where he pleaded guilty to fraud committed between 9 December 2023 and 26 January 2024. He also admitted theft of NHS-branded clothing, a pager, and perfume from the hospital.
Simpson originally faced six charges—one of fraud and five of theft—covering a longer period from 22 September 2023 to 26 January 2024. However, his solicitor Laura Gracie negotiated amended pleas to two charges, which were accepted by fiscal Dylan Middleton for the Crown.
To carry out the deception, Simpson wore medical scrubs and NHS-branded clothing while at ARI and carried a stethoscope and pager. According to local reporting, he used the identity of a real medical student to gain access to restricted areas. By misrepresenting himself to hospital employees as an authorised medical student, he induced staff to permit him to remain in the facility and access staff-only areas and medical files.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin deferred sentencing until later in the month pending a criminal justice social work report and assessment for a restriction of liberty order.
Pattern of deception targeting vulnerable people
Simpson's hospital impersonation was not an isolated incident. According to court records, he was separately jailed for two years in a case involving thefts from elderly and vulnerable people. The sentence was backdated to 10 December 2025, with a 12-month supervised release order to follow.
In that separate case, Simpson admitted offences including robbery and theft. Evidence presented to the court showed that Simpson had posed as police, bank staff, and NHS employees to gain the trust of vulnerable victims before committing crimes against them. This pattern demonstrates a sustained strategy of using false identities and official-looking credentials to exploit people in positions of trust or vulnerability.
NHS Grampian has been asked to comment on the security implications of Simpson's ability to access restricted hospital areas while impersonating a medical student.
