Dental Professionals Hearings Service determination — substantive hearing
Suspended from practice — 1 year
The regulator’s term: suspension
What does “suspended from practice” mean?
A suspension is a fixed-term pause on the right to practise. The practitioner cannot work in the regulated profession during the suspension. At the end of the period the suspension may be extended, replaced with another sanction, or lifted on review.
Concerning Christopher Keith De Bono, dentist (General Dental Council 58814).
Decision date: 9 April 2026 · Hearing started 7 April 2026 and ended 9 April 2026
In plain English
The GDC tribunal decided that Mr De Bono, a dentist, was convicted in 2023 of speeding at 162mph, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance. He failed to inform the GDC of these convictions, which the tribunal found to be dishonest and intended to conceal his offending from his regulator. His fitness to practise was found impaired by misconduct and convictions. The tribunal imposed a 12-month suspension with a review.
Charges
Mr De Bono was charged with: (1) conviction on 8 September 2023 for speeding at 162mph; (2) convictions on 6 November 2023 for driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance; (3) failing to inform the GDC of the September 2023 conviction; (4) failing to inform the GDC of the November 2023 convictions; (5) that his failures to inform the GDC were misleading and/or dishonest.
Findings
The Committee found all charges proved. Mr De Bono had pleaded guilty to all three driving offences. He had a prior IC warning from 2009 for dangerous driving, demonstrating awareness of his duty to self-report. The Committee found his failure to notify the GDC was deliberate and dishonest — intended to conceal further convictions and avoid regulatory scrutiny. His fitness to practise was found impaired by both misconduct and convictions on wider public interest grounds.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
Mr De Bono expressed apology for his actions (though not in relation to his dishonesty, which he denies). His criminal offending and dishonesty occurred during difficult personal circumstances, where he was experiencing personal and professional stressors and concerned for the welfare of loved ones. There is evidence of good conduct following the events. He had taken some remedial steps by attending a course on professionalism in 2024. Positive character references were provided.
Aggravating factors
A risk of harm to the public by speeding and by driving whilst disqualified; premeditated misconduct and attempts to cover up wrongdoing by dishonestly failing to inform the GDC of convictions with the intention of avoiding regulatory scrutiny; blatant disregard for the role of the GDC and the systems regulating the profession; blatant disregard for the sentence of the court when disqualifying him from driving; and an adverse fitness to practise history in the form of a warning for an earlier driving offence in 2009.
Source
All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Dental Professionals Hearings Service determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.
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