A London GP has been given two further life sentences for sexually assaulting his female patients after telling them they ‘could have cancer like Jade Goody and Angelina Jolie’.
Former GP, Manish Shah, 53, performed extensive and invasive exams on his female patients’ breasts.
He has been convicted of 25 sexual assaults on four women at his GP surgery in Romford between 2009 and 2013.
Shah, from Romford, convinced his female patients to have invasive examinations – even if there was no medical requirement for them.
Victims turned to the police, who noticed a similar pattern of behaviour, where Mr Shah initially came across as sensitive before convincing his patients further invasive examinations were necessary.
The former GP would even refer to high-profile cases of celebrities, including Jade Goody and Angelina Jolie, to coerce his patients to agree to further examination, MyLondon reports.
Ms Goody, who rose to fame after an appearance on Big Brother, died in 2009 after a battle with cervical cancer, while Ms Jolie was told she had an 87% chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Mr Shah had already been serving three life sentences for 90 separate offences. His latest convictions brings his total number of offences to 115, including sexual assault and assault by penetration against 28 women.
The disgraced London GP was described as a “well-regarded” doctor who “manipulated and abused” his position to assault women, according to prosecution barrister Riel Karmy-Jones KC.
One Mr Shah’s victims said he would call him his “special girl”, and he even told one teenage patient that she had the potential to be a model.
Mr Shah told one female patient how he “missed her, was protective of her and wanted to check her breasts and vagina” whenever he saw her.
Ms Karmy-Jones KC said: “He selected young and vulnerable women, he gained their trust by saying he cared about them and that he would carry out tests other doctors wouldn’t do.”
One victim, who had been aged 16 when she was assaulted, said in a statement: “For me personally, the journey of bringing Mr Shah to justice has been extremely difficult and had a life changing effect on years of my life.
“Your actions Mr Shah have affected me for 12 years, affecting important years of my growth.
“Before your manipulation and abuse, I was a confident young girl, naive and innocent. After our last appointment, you left me feeling violated and insecure and I was left with a black cloud of depression.”
By Kieran Kelly@kellyjourno
