A doctor who sexually assaulted two patients during medical appointments has been put behind bars.
GP Muhammed Iqbal was employed by insurance companies to carry out examinations on people who had been injured in car accidents.
He used his position to grope two women’s breasts and rubbed against one of them with an erection during their examinations.
The doctor, who had a GP practice in Ireland, would regularly travel to the UK to work at clinics in Sunderland, Newcastle and Darlington on behalf of insurance firms.
Newcastle Crown Court heard during examinations of two women, at clinics in Sunderland and Darlington, he sexually assaulted them during their appointments.
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Iqbal, 64, of Julianstown, County Meath, Ireland, denied two charges of sexual assault but was convicted by a jury after a trial.
Judge Edward Bindloss has now jailed him for 18 months.
Both of the victims attended the hearing and read their own victim impact statements to the court.
One told Iqbal: ‘I went to you as a doctor, as someone in a position of trust and, you not only completely betrayed this position but also the medical oath you had taken.
‘Imagine not trusting a doctor again, this is what you have done to me and my family. I really hope if other people have been assaulted by him they take courage from this verdict and come forward and report him.’
The second woman said she was targeted while in a ‘vulnerable’ state. She said she was shocked when she left the examination and ‘that shock continued for months,’ then turned to anger.
Judge Bindloss told Iqbal: ‘You were using medical examinations in relation to one patient and then a second patient as a cover for sexually assaulting them
‘Both were in your clinic having suffered, in car accidents, physical injuries. You were employed, or you were paid by insurance companies to provide medical reports. You gave evidence to the jury that this was business you regularly came over the UK from your place of domicile in Ireland to perform.
‘You saw many patients, back to back and wrote reports on them and their injuries from car accidents for the purpose of assessment of damages in any litigation.’
Judge Bindloss said one sexual assault happened in Darlington and added: ‘You told her to stand up, then rubbed up against her with an erection, on her bottom, then pulled and squeezed her left breast.’
The second sexual assault happened in Sunderland.
The judge said: ‘You asked her to remove her top. She lifted her bra, and you looked for lumps, touched both breasts with both hands and ‘had a good feel’.”
Judge Bindloss said Iqbal handed in character references, including from other doctors, who describe him as ‘loyal, courteous, good-humoured, caring and compassionate.’
But the judge said the sentence in this case had to be immediate imprisonment.
He added: ‘People need to know their GP or a doctor they are seeing has their best interests at heart.’
Phil Gibbs, defending, said Iqbal, who is married with grown children, was suspended by the GMC and will now be struck off. He has also been removed from his GP practice in Ireland.
Mr Gibbs said Iqbal will never be able to practice again.
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