A doctor who sexually assaulted two patients during medical appointments has been jailed for 18 months. Muhammed Iqbal, 64, a GP from Julianstown, County Meath, Ireland, was convicted by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court of two charges of sexual assault. The assaults occurred during examinations at clinics in Sunderland and Darlington, where Iqbal was carrying out assessments for insurance companies on people injured in car accidents.
Abuse of Trust During Medical Examinations
Iqbal, who had a GP practice in Ireland, regularly travelled to the UK to work at clinics in Sunderland, Newcastle, and Darlington on behalf of insurance firms. During the examinations, he groped two women's breasts and rubbed against one of them with an erection. Both victims attended the sentencing hearing and read their own victim impact statements to the court.
One victim 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.'
Judge's Remarks and Sentencing
Judge Edward Bindloss said Iqbal used medical examinations as 'a cover for sexually assaulting them.' He detailed the assaults: in Darlington, Iqbal told one patient to stand up, then 'rubbed up against her with an erection, on her bottom, then pulled and squeezed her left breast.' In Sunderland, he asked another patient to remove her top, lifted her bra, and 'looked for lumps, touched both breasts with both hands and had a good feel.'
The judge noted that Iqbal had provided character references from other doctors describing him as 'loyal, courteous, good-humoured, caring and compassionate,' but concluded that immediate imprisonment was necessary. He added: 'People need to know their GP or a doctor they are seeing has their best interests at heart.'
Consequences and Next Steps
Iqbal denied the charges but was convicted after a trial. His defence lawyer, Phil Gibbs, said Iqbal, who is married with grown children, was suspended by the General Medical Council (GMC) and will be struck off. He has also been removed from his GP practice in Ireland and will never be able to practice again. The victims were described as being in a 'vulnerable' state, with one saying her shock 'continued for months' before turning to anger.
