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| "Perverse": Patwardhan |
A "perverse" consultant gynaecologist has been jailed for eight years for groping four female patients during private and NHS consultations.
Typically Mahesh Patwardhan, 53, would bend them over an examination couch and fondle their breasts from behind, even asking one woman to reveal her tattooed bum.
Woolwich Crown Court heard Patwardhan, of Alderton Hill, Loughton, Essex was turned on by rubbing himself against the women as he groped them.
He saw NHS patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Charlton and private patients at The Blackheath Hospital and The Holly, Buckhurst Hill, Essex.
The Indian-born father-of-two, whose wife and grown-up son and daughter were in court, was convicted of four counts of sexual assault between July 31, 2008 and September 24, 2012.
Patwardhan, who is married to anaesthetist, was also convicted of two counts of fraud relating to falsely billing private medical insurers for work he did not perform.
The already-disgraced doctor had been struck-off by the General Medical Council in October, 2014 and publicity from that case prompted more victims to come forward.
An investigation was launched by the Metropolitan Police's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command and Patwardhan was arrested on November 20, 2014 as he stepped-off a flight from India at Heathrow Airport.
Judge Alice Robinson told him this morning: "You indulged in totally unnecessary breast examinations for your own perverse sexual gratification and some of the patients suffered severe psychological harm.
"Almost the most shocking aspect was your cavalier attitude to the wholesale falsification of medical records."
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| In Custody: Patwardhan |
She also ordered him to sign the sex offenders register for life and he will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.
The judge said one victim impact statement was: "One of the most harrowing I have ever read. You knew she was vulnerable because of sexual abuse she had suffered and she's withdrawn from the world.
"Another woman has attempted suicide and says you have ruined her life."
His QC Mr. David Etherington said: "The entire family are standing by him, plus a large community of friends.
"It's obvious he is never going to practise again as a doctor. This amounts to a total destruction of this man's career, everything he's studied and worked for.
"He's going to have to start his life again when he comes out of prison."
Prosecutor Miss Kate Bex told the jury a 32 year-old mum-of-three was seen at the Queen Elizabeth in 2008.
"He came behind her and put his arms around her and onto her breasts.
"He groped her breasts and squeezed them with his hands and she was in total shock," added Miss Bex, explaining the woman made an excuse to avoid removing the rest of her clothing.
In digitally-recorded interview with police the woman explained: "He came behind us and that's when he put his hands on us. He wasn't talking, he was just groping my breasts.
"It was horrible, I was in total shock. I didn't know what to do, I felt sick and disgusted.
"When he said: 'Take your knickers off' I knew something was wrong. If I had lied on that couch and took my knickers off what would he have done?"
Another woman, a 37 year-old mum-of-two, says Patwardhan became more intimate after sizing her up.
"The cuddling started after her second or third visit," explained Miss Bex. "He'd hug her goodbye and push his body into her, grab her bottom and kiss her on the cheek.
"He examined her breasts after asking her to bend over the couch and asked her to show him the tattoo on her bum."
A 30 year-old woman was a private Blackheath Hospital patient, who had an ovarian cyst.
"The defendant put his arms around her, his hand on her knee and told her she was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside.
"He asked her to bend over the couch and she could feel his body pressing against hers from behind while cupping her breasts.
"She thought he became aroused and she was embarrassed so put her clothes on and left the room as fast as she could."
Patwardhan offered to investigate the back pain of a woman aged 26. "He felt her spine and then cupped her breasts."
A 35 year-old private patient gave Patwardhan the opportunity to make some extra money out of her insurers.
He performed intimate cosmetic surgery on the woman, but billed her insurers - AXA PPP - for cyst removal because they would not cover the true operation, the jury were told.
"Afterwards he told her she would soon be having: 'Lots of sexy sex and orgasms' in a way that gave her the creeps," said Miss Bex.
Patwardhan was cleared of sexually assaulting this patient and a 37 year-old referred by her GP after a smear test.
A private BUPA patient, aged 21, came forward to report Patwardhan for making her sign a claim form for a £195 non-existent pre-surgery consultation.
She was seen at The Holly, where the defendant's wife was the anaesthetist, and said she did not make a fuss because she was in the couple's hands.
When questioned by police Patwardhan mainly answered "no comment" to questions, but did deny making dishonest claims and conducting sexually-motivated examinations.
"Patwardhan is a highly manipulative individual, having used his position of trust and authority to prey on the victims under his medical care, believing that they would be too embarrassed to report such offences to police," said Detective Constable Mark Azariah after the verdicts last month.
"Thankfully he was mistaken and I commend the victims for their courage in speaking out despite the sensitivity surrounding their personal medical concerns.
"I hope that today's result and the fact he is no longer a practising doctor brings them some comfort and peace of mind in what has been a traumatic ordeal."
