Image copyright Pacemaker Image caption Anaesthetist Piotr Dziurdzik has pleaded guilty to having extreme images of children

A County Antrim anaesthetist has been sentenced to a nine-month suspended jail term for making indecent images of children as young as five.

The judge said Piotr Dziurdzik did not require an immediate custodial sentence because he was "not dangerous".

Dziurdzik of Meetinghouse Street in Ballymoney, had pleaded guilty to a number of charges of making indecent photographs of children.

The 33 charges include 27 of making indecent photographs of children.

He worked at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine when the offences were committed between 2012 and 2015.

Other charges included three of possession of prohibited images of a child and three of possession of extreme pornographic images.

'Something forbidden'

A prosecution barrister told the court that when confronted by police Dziurdzik readily admitted: "Yes, true", and also explained: "It happened on occasion I was watching adult sites, there was links to sites we're talking about. Its not my area of interest."

The barrister said that when Dziurdzik was later interviewed by police he described what he did as "a paradox ... knowing something is forbidden" and likened it to "Adam and Eve ... the forbidden apple".

The vast majority of the images were of girls, although there were a number showing small boys, and the age range of the children was mainly between eight and 12, although some were as young as five or six.

Sentencing Dziurdzik at Antrim court, the judge said: "This finely balanced decision is based on your genuine remorse and the significant steps that have been taken to address your offending.

"Reports submitted to the court suggest you are not a dangerous offender and have been presented at low risk of reoffending."

Struck off

He also warned the doctor that if he committed any further offences in the two-year period he would be sent to jail.

Previously a spokesperson for the Northern Trust said it was "aware of this case and took appropriate and timely action at the earliest stage to deal with this matter.

"We are also aware that an interim order of suspension has been placed on the doctor's registration by the GMC."

The anaesthetist is already suspended by the General Medical Council and expects to be struck off.

The court heard he now hopes to return to his native Poland but a barrister said there was no way he would be able to set up practice there.