By Charlotte Webster
A shamed doctor has been given three life sentences after being convicted of multiple sex offences. Manish Shah of Brunel Close was handed the jail term at the Old Bailey today (Friday, February 7) with a minimum term of 15 years. The 50-year-old doctor who claimed the assaults were “defensive medicine” was found guilty of 25 sexual offences against six victims at Mawney Medical Centre last autumn.
Shah committed 90 sexual assaults on 24 female patients whom after persuading them to undergo unnecessary intimate examinations for his own gratification was labelled a “master of deception” as he was handed three life sentences. Shah, who will serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars, exploited on many of the women because of their ages or family history of cancer.
He did not always wear gloves to carry out checks and in one case left a woman entirely naked on an examination table, the Old Bailey heard.
The judge said Shah had deployed a “mixture of flattery and fear” and used celebrity cases to carry out the sex assaults. Quoting one of his victims, the judge said: “You made up stories which got into heads and caused panic”.
The judge added: “You were a master of deception and you abused your position of power. This was a horrible abuse of trust and caused incalculable harm.
“The details show a pattern of behaviour over five years.
“Your behaviour was not only sexual but was driven by your desire to control and on occasions humiliate women.”Fifteen of the victims sat in a packed Court One as Shah was sentenced by Judge Anne Molyneux QC to three life sentences plus further jail terms to run concurrently. The youngest victim described being left “anxious, fearful and shaking” at the prospect of visiting the doctor after being abused by Shah.
The woman who was 15 at the time said she felt different about men and worried about being seen as a “sex object”. Prosecutor Rosina Cottage QC said the “lack of trust” created by Shah meant many of the women refused to see male doctors and that it had affected their relationships.
Shah, who will serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars, preyed on many of the women because of their ages or family history of cancer. He did not always wear gloves to carry out checks and in one case left a woman entirely naked on an examination table, the Old Bailey heard.
“The opportunity to offend and the ability to offend only arose because of Manish Shah’s profession.
“There is not one centile of information to suggest he would offend within the community.
“Stripped of that profession he is a rather weak man.
“It goes without saying that all of these women feel grossly abused, humiliated, and that the trust that they placed in Manish Shah has been so dreadfully exploited.
“He deeply regrets hurting them and cannot say sorry enough.”