A Harley Street doctor persuaded a woman to have sex three times as a form of therapy for her fear of intercourse, the General Medical Council (GMC) has heard.

Psychiatrist Robin Lawrence said the sex would help to cure the 25-year-old virgin of her fear.

The woman, who had gone to Dr Lawrence's clinic for counselling in December 1996 after her father died, sobbed as she gave evidence to a GMC professional conduct committee hearing.

She said she had sex three times with Dr Lawrence during July 1998 after he had flirted with her and suggested "sexual therapy".

Dr Lawrence, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, of Alleyn Park, South East London, denies serious professional misconduct.

The disciplinary committee heard that Dr Lawrence - a married father of four - allegedly downloaded sexual images from the Internet and suggested watching a pornographic movie on the third occasion the pair had sex.

Ms A sought counselling after she began binge eating in the wake of her father's death in January, 1995.

She was referred by a counselling centre to Dr Lawrence, who initially prescribed her Prozac for her eating disorder at the first of 15 sessions over the next few months.

Lydia Barnfather, for the GMC, said: "But by June 1997 the doctor/patient relationship became less than professional."

First he began revealing "suggestive" details about himself, Miss Barnfather alleged. Then, in July 1997, she told Dr Lawrence about her fear of penetrative sex, she said.

Ms A told the committee: "I was going out with a boy I was interested in. I was a virgin.

"I just said that I could not have penetrative sex because I was quite scared.

"It came out that maybe we should have sex together in that I would trust him as a way of finding out what was going on. It was a very naive thing to mention and Dr Lawrence followed it up."

Sexual therapy

Miss Barnfather said Dr Lawrence's response was to "suggest she undergo as part of her treatment `sexual therapy'."

She added: "She told him she was not interested in this form of therapy."

Ms A, who is now aged 27, decided to end the counselling sessions with Dr Lawrence.

Miss Barnfather said: "They parted on good terms. Indeed she wrote a letter to him addressing him as Dr Lancelot and expressing her gratitude in the form of a medieval tale, thanking her saviour and knight in shining armour."

But Ms A restarted the therapy again just a month later, and found the counselling took the form of hugs from Dr Lawrence.

They had sex on three separate occasions before times before she called a halt to the affair.

Ms A said: "I was very confused. I do not know why (I had sex), but I trusted him. I thought he knew what he was doing."

Dr Lawrence denies the charges and also denies that he prescribed an inappropriate drug - Zispin - when he knew Ms A suffered from hypertension.

The hearing was adjourned until Wednesday.