Massage ‘specialist’ doctor jailed for sexually assaulting patient at her home to ‘treat’ severe headache

A doctor who claimed to be a ‘massage specialist’ has been jailed for sexually assaulting a patient in her own home. Simon Abraham, 34, fraudulently accessed the woman’s patient records before telling her he could ‘massage her headache away’.

The patient agreed to a home visit when Abraham, who was off-duty, ‘took advantage’ of the woman and sexually assaulted her. He left when a visitor arrived, but continued to phone the woman after the visit.

The woman later reported the assault to police, which Abraham denied - having initially denied ever having visited her. He was convicted of sexual assault following a four-day trial in May this year.

Abraham was sentenced to 18 months in prison - nine months custodial and nine months on licence at Chichester Crown Court on Friday, July 14.

The trial heard Abraham, who worked at Eastbourne District General Hospital in East Sussex, visited the woman in October 2020 after she was discharged from hospital, having been treated for severe headaches. Although he was not officially treating the woman, Abraham obtained her patient details and contacted her.

He claimed a colleague concerned about her condition had called him, as he had been trained in ‘specialist massage’ in India for two years. The woman agreed to the visit and Abraham went to her home after finishing work one day, claiming he would be able to ‘massage her headache away’.

But during the massage, he sexually assaulted the vulnerable woman. He left when a visitor came to the home but continued to phone her following the incident. The woman later contacted his hospital to report the assault, who said they would investigate but also advised her to inform the police.

Abraham initially denied even having been to the woman’s house, before admitting he had visited her but denying sexually touching her. He later denied a charge of sexual assault but was convicted following a four-day trial at Chichester Crown Court in May.

Detective Constable Jo Gledhill, of Sussex Police, said: “Abraham took advantage of the victim’s pain, fraudulently accessing her patient details even though he wasn’t officially treating her, and then visiting her when he finished work, claiming that he could massage her headache away.

“When he was arrested, he denied that it happened at all, but then asked for a further interview where he admitted going to her house, but did not sexually touch her.”

Det Con Gledhill added: “We will always take reports of this nature very seriously and specially trained officers will deal with your call.

“If you have been sexually assaulted, please contact us and we will investigate.”

Abraham will also be placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years, and is subject to a five-year restraining order regarding his victim.