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Doctor David Lim found guilty of indecently assaulting patients

Author
Doug Laing,
Publish Date
Fri, 2 Jun 2017, 11:14AM
David Lim's defence lawyer told the jury his client's overtly gay mannerisms fueled the allegations. Photo/File
David Lim's defence lawyer told the jury his client's overtly gay mannerisms fueled the allegations. Photo/File

Doctor David Lim found guilty of indecently assaulting patients

Author
Doug Laing,
Publish Date
Fri, 2 Jun 2017, 11:14AM

The jury at a trial of a doctor charged with drugging and molesting patients have returned with a verdict of guilty.

David Kang Huat Lim, 41, has been on trial in the Napier District Court since last Monday after pleading not guilty to 13 charges; five of stupefying and eight of indecent assault.

This morning, he was found guilty on 10 of the 13 charges.

Lim was accused of unnecessarily administering the sedative Midazolam on four male patients for the purpose of indecently assaulting them while working as a GP at The Doctors in Hastings during 2014.

The jury retired yesterday to deliberate and by just after 5pm the court was told the jury was unanimous on 10 of the 13 charges.

Judge Geoff Rea told the jury it was possible to deliver a majority verdict, but reminded them they had to agree they wouldn't be able to reach a unanimous verdict.

The jury chose to continue deliberating and went home for the night.

The jury heard evidence over eight days, including testimony from four complainants, expert witnesses and Lim who took the stand and denied each of the charges under oath.

The defence's case had been that the patients knew Lim was "overtly gay" and that this, combined with Midazolam's side effect of hallucinations, lead the victims to see, hear and feel things that didn't happen.

Crown Prosecutor Steve Manning told the court Lim had lied on the stand and the jury only had to join the dots to find that he had adminstered Midazolam with an ulterior motive.

He said Lim had used the drug to take advantage of his patients; knowing they would struggle to believe they had been touched by a doctor and doubt their recollections due to the effects of the sedation.

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