Patient 'humiliated' by doctor

Ayling was jailed for indecent assaults on patients

A doctor, jailed for sex assaults on 10 of his former patients, sexually assaulted another woman when he was on bail, a court has heard.

Clifford Ayling, 70, who practised in Folkestone, Kent, from 1975, was jailed for four years in December 2000 for 13 counts of indecent assault on 10 women patients.

In June last year he was struck off the medical register by the General Medical Council.

The former GP is representing himself at Canterbury County Court against compensation claims by former female patients.

I have had examinations before and I have never been made to feel like that

Female patient

In court, the victims' solicitor Sarah Harman told the court how he "grunted with pleasure" during one inappropriate internal examination.

Ayling persistently denied the assaults although judgment has already been made in the civil claims case as he offered no defence in September.

Ms Harman told the court a 31-year-old woman, who cannot be named, was seen by Ayling when he was on call at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Folkestone on 18 May 1997.

'Sexually aroused'

The woman said that after Ayling's examination she felt "dirty, embarrassed, humiliated."

She added: "I have had examinations before and I have never been made to feel like that."

Ms Harman said that another victim was assaulted by Ayling while he was on court bail.

She said: "By this time the defendant had been arrested and he was on bail and his conditions were he was able to continue practising as a GP as long as he had a chaperone present.

"The defendant made excuses to send her (the chaperone) out of the room and while out of the room the defendant subjected the claimant to a prolonged, painful internal examination and the claimant observed the defendant was sexually aroused." said Ms Harman.

Ayling said: "I made certain I never had a female patient while the nurse was out of the room, so the nurse would have been there."

The case continues.