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A Northern Ireland pharmacist who received a police caution after using photographs of another individual without their permission to create a social media profile has received an official warning from his professional regulator.

Matthew Nethery went before the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland’s fitness to practise committee on February 26 this year, having first received a caution from the Police Service of Northern Ireland on October 21, 2023.

Mr Nethery had created inaccurate social media posts and left these up for up to three days. The posts “highlighted false and inaccurate facts associated with this individual and this caused the victim undue anxiety,” noted the PSNI’s report of the recent hearing.

Mr Nethery admitted to all facts and allegations that were put to him, including that he had set up the profile in order to make contact with an individual, with both the actions and the content of the profile described as “unacceptable”.

Mr Nethery has since completed an online course on the responsible use of social media and has also removed himself from all social media platforms, with his current employer noting his “unblemished” record of conduct before and since the incident in question. 

“The registrant had shown demonstrable insight,” said the FtP committee, adding: “He had taken effective remediable action, and his behaviour in his personal life is unlikely to be repeated.”

“Accordingly, the committee’s decision is to impose the sanction of a warning about his admitted behaviour.”