GP cleared of sex charges

Dr Carman came to Britain from Australia in 1983

A Somerset GP jailed for a year in September for indecent assault has had six of his nine convictions overturned.

Dr Philip Carman, 50, from Weston-super -Mare, denied the charges relating to seven women over 18 years.

They were alleged to have happened at the Stafford Place surgery in the town where he was a partner.

The Appeal Court ruled six convictions unsafe because of a misdirection by the trial judge. The convictions upheld were "unusual and striking in kind".

Released next month

Lord Justice Kay, sitting with Mr Justice Field and Judge Michael Brodrick, said the ruling was "in no way a reflection" on any of the women involved.

He ruled that the trial judge had failed to direct the jury that they should not take into account evidence given about the three more serious charges when deciding on the six lesser assault charges.

He said that because the jury had not been warned, and there was a possibility that patients who had complained of lesser offences could have misinterpreted the doctor's actions, the convictions were unsafe.

He added that the trial judge had failed to give a clear warning that the evidence on each charge faced by Carman, originally from Australia, had to be considered separately.

A formal not guilty verdict was returned on a tenth count of indecent assault in the original trial in September.

Carman, who was sentenced to six months concurrent on the lesser assault charges and 12 months concurrent on the more serious, is due to be released next month.