GP Muhammad Iqbal Jailed for 18 Months Over Sexual Assaults on Patients

A general practitioner who sexually assaulted two female patients during clinical examinations arranged following road traffic collisions has been sentenced to 18 months in custody at Newcastle Crown Court.

Muhammad Iqbal, 64, of Julianstown, County Meath, Ireland, was convicted following a trial after denying charges relating to separate incidents in Darlington and Sunderland occurring in 2023.

The court heard that the victims were attending physiotherapy appointments organized through their insurers when they were targeted by the practitioner.

In the first instance, Iqbal grabbed a patient's breast, while the second offence involved the defendant falsely claiming a need to check a patient’s breasts for lumps during an examination that had been scheduled for an entirely different purpose.

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Alongside the immediate custodial sentence, the presiding judge ordered that Iqbal be placed on the sex offender register for a mandatory period of 10 years.

Detective Constable Charlotte Naisby of Durham Constabulary's Complex Safeguarding Team stated that

"Iqbal preyed on these women during a very vulnerable period in their lives and his behaviour was despicable."

Detective Constable Naisby added:

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"the women should have felt safe being examined by a certified GP but instead Iqbal not only assaulted them but breached their trust in the most horrendous way and we are glad to see he is now behind bars."

Echoing these remarks, Sergeant Kimberley Ball of Northumbria Police praised the complainants for speaking out, stating that

"I am confident they have made the North East safer now that this man’s crimes have been brought to light."