Doctor convicted over fake texts bid to sabotage flatmate’s relationships

A “devious” doctor has been convicted of perverting the course of justice over a web of lies he spun to sabotage his flatmate’s relationships.

Javed Saumtally could face jail after being found guilty of what prosecutors said was a “determined” and “technologically adept” deception involving fake texts and bogus screenshots.

The 28-year-old doctor, from Ipswich in Suffolk, was “motivated by his own feelings” for his male flatmate and acted out of jealousy, his trial heard.

The men had been in a relationship when they lived in Brighton, East Sussex, before moving separately to Ipswich where they shared a flat.

He denied a charge of perverting the course of justice but was found guilty on Monday after a trial at Hove Crown Court.

Jurors took five hours and 12 minutes to find Saumtally guilty by unanimous verdict.

Judge Jeremy Gold QC told him that he must prepare himself for an “almost inevitable custodial sentence”.

The case was adjourned for a report to be prepared and Saumtally will be sentenced on October 18.

During the trial prosecutor Jonathan Atkinson said the defendant set about “sending abusive and derogatory messages from unknown numbers” to his flatmate but also to himself, “no doubt to make it look like he was also a victim and to deflect attention away from him”.

He told jurors the various lies were part of a “concerted ploy by Mr Saumtally to deliberately undermine the relationships of his flatmate … to (make him) feel under threat and harassed as a result, all the while pretending to act as an understanding friend and companion”.

“He was devious, he was determined and technologically adept”.

“No-one else stood to gain, he had the motive, he had the means throughout these incidents.

“He created false exhibits and he lied to police.”

Saumtally denied faking text messages when he gave evidence at the trial.

It was suggested to him that he was jealous of his flatmate, with whom he had previously had a brief relationship.

Saumtally said this was not the case, arguing that they had been clear that he was eventually moving to Ipswich and that the relationship had an end date.

Defence barrister Janet Weeks argued that the absence of Saumtally’s flatmate from the trial meant there are “simply too many unanswered questions without him giving evidence”.