A leading plastic surgeon's career, earning power and reputation were damaged by a transgender patient, who launched a one-person campaign of abusive emails, calls, texts and online postings after claiming the doctor bungled their ear procedure.
Self-employed sales consultant Alexandra Charles, 36, of Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff was a patient of leading surgeon Dr. Brian Mayou, founder of the Cadogan Clinic, Sloane Street, Belgravia.
"This surgeon, who has pressed these charges, has caused me so much pain and distress," Charles told Hammersmith Magistrates' Court. "If you knew the full story and what this man has done to me you would be shocked."
Charles pleaded guilty to harassing Dr. Mayou between December 16, 2010 and May 16, last year by sending numerous unwanted insulting messages and yesterday was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Charles made unfounded allegations that Dr. Mayou was a peadophile during a two-and-a-half year campaign, resulting in the surgeon's right to work at South Kensington's private Cromwell Hospital being withdrawn.
Dr. Mayou, a former consultant and honorary lecturer at Guys and St. Thomas' Hospital, who was the plastic surgeon who first introduced liposuction to the UK, now has the complaint permanently on his General Medical Council record.
"There have been multiple forms of threats over a long period of time," magistrate Mrs Nicola Leach told Charles. "The threats have impacted Dr. Mayou's family, career, reputation and earnings. The impact is unimaginable."
Charles was also ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to the surgeon, £150 costs an £80 victim surcharge and was made subject to a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement.
Earache: Alexandra Charles |
"There followed abusive calls, texts and emails from the defendant, a lengthy course of conduct and prolific," explained Miss Hagem. "After a police warning they stopped, but later began again.
"In November, Twenty-Twelve the Cromwell Hospital received an email from the defendant accusing Dr. Mayou of molesting children."
On April 5, last year he received ten calls from an unknown number, but the voice of Charles was identified leaving threatening messages such as: "I'll be coming to see you. I want to know what you have done to my ears, you are going to pay for this.
"I'm planning what I am going to do, I'm going to strip everything off you, you f***ing bastard, you f***ing shit.
"I'm going to see you dog, f***ing c***. You've deformed me for life."
Charles also mentioned Dr. Mayou's wife and daughters, calling one of his girl's a "pig" and a "slut" and branding the surgeon a "kiddie fiddler."
The doctor was also forced to apply for fifty online posts to be removed from three different websites, which contained content such as: "He's a pedophile and needs to be locked up."
Charles was arrested when arriving in the UK at Bristol Airport on July 22, last year, after a trip to the continent.
In his victim impact statement Dr. Mayou said the abuse gave him sleepless nights and patients had cancelled surgery as a result of Charles' online rants.
"He has carried out a social media campaign against me and the clinic," said the surgeon. "Patients have cancelled as a direct result of the posts."
Charles' lawyer Miss Julie Stanhope told the court: "My client suffers a high-degree of self-hatred and in his early thirties decided to address his gender issues.
"The first step was surgery on his ears by Dr. Mayou and he accepts the behaviour the doctor endured was extreme and unacceptable."
Charles has since had face reconstruction surgery and breast augmentation.
Charles previously jumped bail after telling the court: "I am halfway through a sex-change and sending me to a male penitentiary would be sexual abuse."