Rogue dentist makes appearance in B.C. court

The rogue dentist who defied promises not to practice in B.C. without a licence appeared in a B.C. courtroom on Friday after fleeing to Ontario several months ago.

Tung Sheng Wu, 62, was brought back to B.C. late yesterday afternoon by sheriffs, after he turned himself into police in Toronto earlier this week.

He disappeared this summer after police raided his home-based dentistry practice in August.

In his absence, Wu was convicted of contempt of court for defying a prior order not to practice dentistry in B.C. and sentenced to three months in jail.

In court in Vancouver on Friday, proceedings were hampered because nobody knew Wu needed a Mandarin interpreter.

Nevertheless the judge told Wu why he was charged with contempt, how he was found guilty in his absence and that he would be serving three months in jail as a result.

It's estimated that Wu treated as many as 450 patients in unsanitary conditions in the bedroom of his Burnaby home, prompting a warning from the Fraser Health Authority that anyone who received treatment from Wu should be checked for diseases ranging from hepatitis to HIV.