“Nothing unlawful or illegal took place at any time.”
The doctor and the woman, known as Ms G, are said to have met on a sexual website before meeting up in person at a bar and agreeing to pursue a sexual, yet secret, relationship as she didn’t want her husband to find out.
That relationship related to a sexual fetish and involved the doctor acting as the “dom”, or dominant partner, and the woman the “sub”, or submissive partner.
The doctor is before the Health Practitioner Disciplinary Tribunal this week.
Heavy suppressions have been imposed on the case, including anything that identifies the doctor, the woman, or where the offending happened.
Ms G claims the pair had sex on a leather couch in his work office on one occasion, and oral sex on another.
She testified that the doctor had harassed her so much after ending their relationship that she had to block him and became scared of what he would do with the videos and photos in his possession.
‘I very much fell in love with her’
But the doctor gave evidence yesterday saying while his relationship with the woman was brief, it “was intense”.
“I very much fell in love with [Ms G].
“It is apparent to me now that although she professed that it was mutual, these feelings were not reciprocated by her.
“It has become clear to me that she was using me for her own ends.
“I was deeply hurt at how she treated me.”
He also denied showing intimate videos of her to anyone but accepted it was “an error of judgement on my part to have seen [Ms G] at my work premises at all”.
“In particular, this includes the intimacy that we had at the premises, albeit not in the clinical rooms as such.”
He also took a swab from the woman; she claims he pressured her into the procedure, while he stated today that she asked him to do it.
“I also very much regret and recognise it was unprofessional for me to have undertaken the swab.
“However, I did so in complete good faith, and in the company of the chaperone.”
The proceedings had been “exceptionally stressful”.
“I have suffered immensely as a consequence of this matter.
“It has significantly affected my mental health.”
‘Keen to get back to work’
However, the doctor said he was “very keen” to get back to medical practice.
“I had enjoyed a reputation as an excellent [doctor] and I know I can return to practice and offer much to the community .”
Dr Jonathon Coates, of The Professional Conduct Committee, said the doctor had “blurred the boundaries” between his personal and professional life, and that was also something he accepted.
After meeting the woman in 2018, he sent the woman a contract to sign, which she ended up doing three months later, at his work.
He emphasised he did that for the “convenience” of being able to print it.
“I wish now that I had signed elsewhere.”
He also videoed the woman “submitting” to him, where she sat on her knees with her palms up.
“Likewise, I regret having the consent video signed at the office of my medical practice. That was unwise, and again I wish now with hindsight, I had done this elsewhere.”
Ms G claimed the pair had sex on a leather couch on one occasion, and another time, after signing the contract, there was oral sex.
The doctor agreed there was oral sex but denied any full sexual intercourse at his work.
“I do agree it was wrong to engage in intimacy with [Ms G] at the medical practice where I worked.
“I very much regret that this happened.”
However, he denied requesting or accessing the woman’s lab results or threatening to post video footage of Ms G online.
He did accept that he threatened to tell the woman’s husband that she was on sexual websites.
He also denied showing any images of the woman to other people.
“I on no occasion did this,” he said.
“I did show part of a video to Ms B, but there was no intimacy or sexual image shown to her at all.”
The doctor met Ms B, who also gave evidence on Tuesday, at an event in Hamilton.
He invited her and her friends, back to his house.
She told the tribunal the doctor twice tried to show her a video of the woman, as proof that they were in a sexual relationship together.
She could tell she was about to be shown a video, and noticed Ms G’s face, but turned away before it started playing.
Ms B said she found the doctor’s behaviour to be “seedy and inappropriate”. They left about 40 minutes later.
The hearing continues on Wednesday with cross-examination of the doctor by Dr Coates.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 10 years and has been a journalist for 21.
