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A former NHS nurse who dealt drugs for sex parties has been struck off the register after narrowly escaping a prison sentence. David Popple, who once served the health service in Canterbury, confessed last year to dealing methylamphetamine. However, following a misconduct hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) earlier this month, he was banned from the profession. Popple, hailing from Hythe, first qualified as a nurse in 1983 and dedicated many years volunteering for St John's Ambulance service. His career, however, came to a halt when police discovered £3,300 worth of the synthetic drug in his caravan in Folkestone. During his sentencing hearing in 2024, Canterbury Crown Court heard that Popple had been selling it for £60 a gram to friends for use in "chemsex" sessions. John Briant, defence barrister, outlined the extent of Popple's dealings to the court, stating that his client's actions lacked the characteristics of a large supply network. "Although there are end users, it's a small number of people rather than something like a county lines arrangement where there is a burner phone and messages sent out broadcasting," he explained to the court, reports the Mirror . "This was a small community of men using chemsex drugs. He was someone who was involved in a group of people who could obtain drugs... and he was the one who ended up organising it." Chemsex, a term referring to sexual activity under the influence of certain drugs, was at the centre of the case against Mr Popple. A man of previously good character and a nurse by profession, Popple had been grappling with personal and professional issues, his lawyer explained: "In 2020, he was subject to a complaint at work with three others. "It resulted in a long investigation and no further action was taken, but that significantly disrupted his working life and meant he became disillusioned, anxious and depressed. He then had a diagnosis of cancer in 2021 and had to undergo a number of surgeries, as did his best friend, for whom he ended up being his carer during Covid. "Unfortunately, his friend died, and he went through significant divorce proceedings with his husband, too. He lost his best friend, he was divorcing his husband, his father died, and a paramedic he knew was found dead. There were a number of people who lost their lives, and it was a really dark time for him. He became engaged with this group, and that's how it started." The court was informed that Popple's illegal Class A drug supply came to light in October 2022 when police responded to reports of a disturbance on Radnor Park Crescent, Folkestone. Upon arrival, officers discovered 50.98g of methylamphetamine, worth around £3,355 on the street, along with drug paraphernalia such as deal bags and syringes in his van. In a surprising turn of events, Recorder Daniel Stevenson decided to suspend a two-year prison sentence for two years, labelling it a "tragedy" that someone in the health care sector, fully aware of the damage caused by drugs, had become embroiled in dealing. However, he noted that he believed Popple was driven more by "social status" than financial gain. "You conducted an operation supplying what are colloquially referred to as chemsex drugs. The nature of the supply was directly linked to your own abuse of chemsex drugs as part of the gay social scene," the judge informed Popple. Popple was instructed to complete 140 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity requirements. The NMC hearing took place behind closed doors, with no details of the proceedings disclosed. A report did confirm that Popple attended to present his case at the meeting. The report also confirmed that his ability to practice was deemed impaired, resulting in a striking-off order. East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust has been approached for comment.
