Dr Manish Shah persuaded victims to have needless exams by preying on cancer fears

This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

A GP is facing jail after molesting 23 female patients whom he persuaded to have unnecessary examinations.

Dr Manish Shah used the cases of Angelina Jolie and Jade Goody to prey on the cancer concerns of patients as young as 17 and scare them into being examined for his sexual gratification, the Old Bailey heard.

Between May 2009 and June 2013, he assaulted six patients at Mawney medical centre in Romford, east London, the court was told.

Shah, 50, of Romford, denies wrongdoing, claiming he had been practising “defensive medicine”. But after a trial, he was found guilty of 25 sexual offences.

The jury was told Shah had already been convicted of similar allegations relating to 17 other women, bringing the total number of victims to 23. The judge, Anne Molyneux, adjourned sentencing for all the offences until 7 February.

The prosecutor, Kate Bex QC, told jurors Shah played on the women’s fear of cancer in order to win their consent to examinations, but without being properly informed. Some of the victims were particularly vulnerable because of their young age or because of a family history of the disease.

“Fear is an incredible motivator and few health concerns are scarier than cancer. Dr Shah exploited that and used it for his own personal gratification,” Bex said.

Shah brought up the news story about Jolie having a preventative mastectomy as he asked a woman if she would like him to examine her breasts.

He also mentioned Goody, who died of cervical cancer, to another woman, telling her an examination was in her best interests, it was claimed.

Bex told jurors that one theme of the case was the defendant’s “sexualised” behaviour. He would give patients hugs and kisses, singling some out as “special” and his “star”, saying he had a soft spot for them.

He would not always wear gloves and left one patient naked on an examination table, jurors heard.

Shah attempted to justify an examination in medical notes by suggesting it was “requested”, the court heard.

He flouted NHS guidelines on giving healthy women under 25 smear tests, and routine breast examinations to women under 50, which were said to cause more harm than good, Bex told jurors. He also breached guidelines on the use of chaperones during intimate examinations.

Shah’s barrister, Zoe Johnson QC, told jurors he was a “cautious, insecure, perhaps at times incompetent GP”.