Rhys Bellinge: Medical Board of Australia suspends doctor’s registration as he faces manslaughter charge

An obstetrician accused of killing a young woman in a drunken, high-speed crash has had an Australia-wide ban placed on his medical registration. Rhys Bellinge, 45, is charged with manslaughter over the death of Elizabeth Pearce and dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm to her Uber driver Muhammed Usman in Dalkeith last month. Dr Bellinge specialises in obstetrics and genecology and was an obstetrician at Concept Obstetrics and Gyneacology before he was charged. Despite being in custody at the maximum-security Casuarina Prison and unable to practice anyway, the Medical Board of Australia took immediate action to suspend Mr Bellinge’s medical registration late last week. An alert on Dr Bellinge’s profile on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website states: “This practitioner is currently suspended. They cannot practise in Australia.” An AHPRA spokeswoman confirmed the suspension was imposed on Thursday. “Mr Bellinge was suspended under the Medical Board of Australia’s immediate action powers,” the spokeswoman said. The Medical Board has the power to take immediate action to suspend a practitioner or restrict their practice if it is in the public interest such as when a practitioner is charged with a serious criminal offence. It can also take immediate action if the board reasonably believes a practitioner’s behaviour, performance or health poses a “serious risk” to the public. Immediate action is an interim move, imposed while the board continues a proper investigation. Mr Bellinge, who is next due in court later this month, has not entered pleas to the charges against him. Police allege he lost control of his Jaguar, causing it to travel on the wrong side of the road at speed before hitting a Honda Jazz operating as a rideshare vehicle on Birdwood Parade on February 15. Dr Bellinge was allegedly driving from the home of his estranged wife on The Avenue, Nedlands, to the home of his billionaire father on Jutland Parade — a distance of 1.5km — when he crashed. Mr Usman, who was behind the wheel of the Honda, was left in a coma with two broken legs and a broken arm. His passenger, Ms Pearce, 24, did not survive her injuries. A court was last month told that a preliminary test taken on Dr Bellinge recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.183 — almost four times the legal limit. Police also allege Dr Bellinge, who is from one of Perth’s richest families, reached speeds of 130km/h before the fatal impact. Dr Bellinge was refused bail at his last court appearance and after being discharged from Royal Perth Hospital, where he was being treated for spinal injuries, was taken to Casuarina’s infirmary. The unit is home to prisoners whose mental state often means they are a risk to themselves. It is expected he will remain there until he no longer requires a back brace. He may then be transferred to Casuarina’s ultra-secure special protection unit — a jail-within-a-jail for inmates who are at risk of being bashed, killed or extorted if they mixed with the general population. The tragedy rippled through the community, with the public raising more than $100,000 in less than 24 hours to help in Mr Usman’s recovery. A prominent motor dealer also offered to fly the 25-year-old’s parents out to Australia and offered the use of a car for when Mr Usman is able to return to work. Ms Pearce was farewelled at a moving funeral service in Subiaco on Thursday, where hundreds of mourners gathered to say their goodbyes. She was remembered as a bright young woman who “radiated beauty, light and goodness”. Ms Pearce’s family have set up the Elizabeth Pearce Marine Science Fund in honour of their daughter, who was about to start her research project as part of her Master of Marine Science at the University of WA. To donate visit https://www.uwa.edu.au/oceans-institute.