{{Short description|Australian doctor and criminal (1940-2003)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}} {{more citations needed|date=December 2009}} '''Nicholas George Paltos''' ({{circa|1940}} – 26 December 2003) was an Australian [[Medical doctor|doctor]] who became a convicted criminal.
==Early life== Paltos was born Nicholas George Paltos<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_nobylineObit_NickPatos">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/31/1072546587022.html|title=Doc descended into underworld|date=2004-01-01|publisher=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=2009-11-18}}</ref> (or possibly Nicholas John Paltos<ref name="Austlii_HIGHCOURTOFAUSTRALIA_[1992]HCA25">{{cite AustLII|HCA|25|1992|litigants=R v Rogerson |parallelcite=(1992) 174 [[Commonwealth Law Reports|CLR]] 268 |date=17 June 1992 |courtname=autp}}.</ref><!-- mistake in references? Traditionally, Greek people don't have [[middle name]]s -->) in 1940<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_CornfordObit_NickPatos">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/31/1072546587022.html|title=God 'will forgive' the doctor turned crim|last=Cornford|first=Philip|date=2004-01-01|publisher=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=2009-11-18}}</ref> or 1941<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_nobylineObit_NickPatos"/> on the small Greek island of [[Kastelorizo]]n<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_nobylineObit_NickPatos"/> The youngest of ten children, his family migrated from Greece to [[Melbourne|Melbourne, Australia]] in 1947.<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_CornfordObit_NickPatos"/> After the death of his mother in 1949, his family moved to [[Sydney]] in 1955,<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_CornfordObit_NickPatos"/> where he first became acquainted with [[Problem gambling|gambling]], which was to be his [[Tragic flaw|downfall]].<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_nobylineObit_NickPatos"/>
Paltos attended school until he was 13, when he left and worked at a chrome metal factory. In 1955, he moved with his father to Sydney, where he worked as an apprentice in a [[Sydenham, New South Wales|Sydenham]] metal factory, completing a diploma course in electroplating.
Paltos enrolled at Sydney Technical College in 1959 and took two years to complete his matriculation. He then won a scholarship to study [[medicine]] at the [[University of New South Wales]] in 1962.<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_nobylineObit_NickPatos"/> After completing studies, he commenced work at the [[Sydney Hospital]] in 1969, and in 1978 took up [[medical practice|private practice]] with rooms in [[Woolloomooloo]].<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_nobylineObit_NickPatos"/>
==Career== {{unreferencedsect|date=November 2023}} He studied and worked part-time as a taxi driver and salesman. He also met his future wife, Marie Kratzis, whom he married in January 1967. He completed his studies in 1968 and joined the staff of Sydney Hospital. A year later he was appointed to the emergency and casualty department.
Paltos frequented illegal gaming venues, in particular the Goulburn Club, and racecourses. He knew people who moved in that world, including Graham "Croc" Palmer. He met [[George Freeman (bookmaker)|George Freeman]] as a doctor and became friends with him.
In 1978, Paltos took up private practice in Riley Street, Woolloomooloo. His patients included high-flyers such as former NSW Supreme Court chief justice [[Laurence Street]], media tycoon [[Kerry Packer]] and broadcaster [[John Laws]]. He warned ex-Goon [[Harry Secombe]] that if he did not lose some of his 129 kilograms, he would die. Secombe took that advice and credited Paltos with saving his life.
Paltos fathered two children and lived in a two-storey home, ''Gwandalan'', in one of [[Sydney]]'s most expensive suburbs, [[Bellevue Hill, New South Wales|Bellevue Hill]].
His gambling issues continued. In 1982 he borrowed $300,000 from the family company of a solicitor, Ross Karp. In an effort to pay mounting debts he became involved in criminal activity.
==First conviction== In 1986, Paltos [[pleaded guilty]] to charges of conspiring to import 5.5 [[tonne]]s of [[hashish]] into Australia.<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_CornfordObit_NickPatos"/><ref name="NSW_ICAC_2002">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/Committee.nsf/0/a467316feb212c4cca256cfb0013c1d2/$FILE/Research%20Report%20on%20Trends%20in%20Police%20Corruption.PDF|title=RESEARCH REPORT ON TRENDS IN POLICE CORRUPTION|date=2002-12-01|publisher=[[Parliament of New South Wales]]|access-date=2009-11-18|archive-date=19 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219151804/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/a467316feb212c4cca256cfb0013c1d2/$FILE/Research%20Report%20on%20Trends%20in%20Police%20Corruption.PDF|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Second conviction== In 1990, Paltos was convicted on charges of [[Perverting the course of justice|conspiring to pervert the course of justice]], along with police detective [[Roger Rogerson]], for using bank accounts under false names to hide improperly gotten money.<ref name="SMH_01Jan2004_CornfordObit_NickPatos"/><ref name="NSW_PIC_WoodRoyalCommission_Paltos">{{cite web|url=http://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/reports/VOLUME1.pdf|title=ROYAL COMMISSION INTO THE NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE SERVICE|date=1997-05-01|publisher=[[Wood Royal Commission]]|access-date=2009-11-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912065516/http://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/reports/VOLUME1.pdf|archive-date=12 September 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Cannabis in Australia}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paltos, Nick}} [[Category:1940s births]] [[Category:2003 deaths]] [[Category:Australian cannabis traffickers]] [[Category:Australian general practitioners]] [[Category:Australian taxi drivers]] [[Category:Greek emigrants to Australia]] [[Category:University of New South Wales Medical School alumni]]