A cosmetic nurse who injected fillers into Melbourne patients while her registration was suspended wants to avoid a conviction because she's hanging her future on a new nursing career.
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One of Tanya Bechara's patients was left with blue marks under her eyes, which doctors say will last four to five years, after undergoing a procedure in November 2018.
The Sydney-based cosmetic nurse had her enrolled nurse registration suspended in February that year over suspected breaches of a supervision order imposed after a performance review.
Despite that she injected up to 15 patients during a one-day travelling clinic in Melbourne.
On Wednesday Bechara faced Melbourne Magistrates Court from her Sydney hotel quarantine room, pleading guilty to knowingly holding herself out to be a registered professional when that wasn't the case.
One woman went for under-eye fillers and botox, but Bechara told her she had run out of botox and instead gave her eye and lip fillers, which resulted in pain, swelling, bruising and facial discolouring.
The woman has undergone medical procedures to reverse the effects.
The victim said Bechara hadn't consulted with a doctor before the procedure, did not explain what products she was using or what after care the woman should follow.
When she contacted Bechara later to complain she was offered a refund for the eye treatment but never received it.
Another nurse employed by Bechara told her injecting the fillers while deregistered was risky, but Bechara replied "oh it's fine, it's fine".
Her lawyer Sean Cash said she wasn't thinking as she should have been, after her father suffered a heart attack and she miscarried twins in the months prior.
He said Bechara had no income and was still waiting on $50,000 from the sale of her cosmetics business, Radiance Cosmetics.
She is in hotel quarantine with her one-year-old son after returning from Uganda. She had travelled there in September last year hoping to rekindle a relationship with her former partner.
Bechara is currently training to become a registered nurse and would need to re-apply for registration, Mr Cash said, urging that she be able to avoid a conviction.
"She's hanging her whole future on that degree," he said.
Prosecutor Kylie Walsh said regardless of whether Bechara was convicted "the conduct itself isn't great" for her prospects.
Bechara has not opposed an order for $2650 compensation or more than $11,000 in prosecution legal costs.
She faces a fine up to $30,000.
Bechara will be sentenced on Monday.
Australian Associated Press
