The physio at the centre of the Harlequins 'Bloodgate' scandal can return to work just months after he was struck off.
Disgraced former Quins physio allowed back to work
The physiotherapist at the centre of the Harlequins 'Bloodgate' controversy can return to work just months after he was struck off for his role in the scandal.
Stephen Brennan was kicked out of his profession for helping wing Tom Williams fake a blood injury in the dying moments of Quins' 6-5 Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat by Leinster in April 2009.
Brennan bought fake blood capsules and told the player to pretend he had been injured in order to get specialist kicker Nick Evans onto the pitch at the Stoop.
The scandal came to light after Williams was spotted by television cameras winking towards the bench with 'blood' smeared around his mouth.
Brennan was banned from practicing at a subsequent enquiry but he later won a High Court appeal ordering the sanction to be reconsidered.
On Thursday a Health Professions Council panel overturned the ban after a re-hearing of the case, replacing the striking order with a formal caution.
At the fresh hearing, Brennan pleaded to be given a 'second chance' arguing that he had been influenced by a 'team culture' and had learned his lesson from the incident.
Profound errors
Paul Harris QC, for Brennan, said: "He had made profound errors, but if struck off from the profession forever, he will never have the chance to make amends for those errors."
Brennan admitted to the panel that he had givenblood capsules to feign injury on five separate occasions.
He also admitted fabricating his statement and those of Williams and Nick Evans, and lying during a subsequent European Rugby Cup disciplinary hearing.
Giving evidence, the respected physiotherapist, who had been offered a post with the England rugby team, said he had been acting under orders from former Quins boss Dean Richards.
He said: 'I was on the sideline and Dean Richards said to me over the walkie-talkie 'Does anybody on the pitch have blood?
"I went back to him and said no then he said that he wanted Tom Williams to come off with a blood.
'I went searching through my bag for the capsules and, whilst I wish I had not done it, I knew I could fulfil my boss's wishes.
'Foolishly I followed the orders, but I wish I had not done what I did.
Dishonesty
In reinstating the physiotherapist, panel chairman Raymond Pattison said: "The panel is prepared to accept his assurance that he had learned his lesson and would not allow himself to drawn into conduct of this kind again.
"While the dishonesty was serious it was driven by a team culture which Mr Brennan might fairly be regarded as not having instigated.
"'Mr Brennan has now expressed genuine remorse for his actions. This is in contrast to the position as determined by the panel at the last hearing.'
"His professional and private life have been adversely affected by the publicity which the high profile nature of his misconduct has attracted.
"The panel is satisfied that Mr Brennan is well on the way to resolving his problems.
"For the reasons previously given, the panel is satisfied that the likelihood of repetition is very low.
"In all these circumstances, the panel is satisfied that is nothing which would be usefully served by imposing a suspension order in the light of all that it has heard about the transformation in Mr Brennan's response to the difficulties in which he found himself."
