Myles Bradbury: Patient's grandmother 'uncovered abuse' Published duration 1 December 2014

image caption Myles Bradbury, who worked as a blood cancer specialist, admitted abusing 18 of his young patients

Cancer doctor Myles Bradbury has been jailed for 22 years for sexually abusing 18 of his vulnerable young patients. During his sentencing hearing, the court heard how his actions were uncovered after a patient's grandmother realised something was wrong.

Myles Bradbury, a blood cancer specialist, abused victims between 2009 and 2013, at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

During one particular session, with a boy who was in remission from leukaemia, Bradbury, 41, of Herringswell, Suffolk, asked his patient to strip naked and touch his own genitals.

The boy was told he could mention what had happened to his parents if he wanted to, but he might prefer to keep it confidential.

"This boy showed great wisdom," prosecutor John Farmer told Cambridge Crown Court.

"He could not see why it should be secret so, once in the car, he told his family.

"By gentle cross-examination, his grandmother got the full story out of him, mulled it over and started the chain that brings the defendant here today."

After his arrest in December 2013, Bradbury was charged and admitted 25 offences including sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than 16,000 indecent images, in September this year.

image copyright PA image caption Bradbury days before his arrest last November (left), his police mug shot in December 2013 (centre) and arriving at Cambridge Crown Court charged with child sex offences in September this year

Many of the children he treated, who were aged between 10 and 16, had haemophilia, leukaemia and other illnesses.

Some of his patients had conditions that led to concerns about development in puberty, which required medics to monitor genital and sexual development, the court heard.

But Bradbury's actions went "beyond the norm", the court was told.

He used a "spy pen" to secretly capture pictures of his partially-clothed victims - the pen was found to contain 170,425 images.

In a statement read to the court, one victim said: "I am now anxious to go to the doctor, because I don't know who I should trust.

"I have haemophilia and a pain in my side so I know I should go, but I feel disgusted and weird.

image copyright Tom Pullman image caption Much of the abuse took place while Bradbury was a doctor at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge

"I didn't think it would happen to me and I feel angry every time I think about it but also relieved it wasn't just me, but we shouldn't have to go through it."

Another said he had regular nightmares, felt stressed and lacked confidence.

"I'd like to see Myles Bradbury and ask him why he did what he did to me," he said.

Bradbury's defence barrister, Angela Rafferty, told the court her client recognised what he did was "repugnant" and had never sought to justify his behaviour.

"He knows he will not get any understanding or forgiveness because what he did was unforgivable," she said.