A vile doctor who sexually assaulted female patients while examining their car crash injuries has been jailed for 18 months. 

Dr Mohammad Iqbal, 64, carried out examinations at clinics in Newcastle and Sunderland for assessments of damages arising from car accidents. 

It was during such assessments that he sexually assaulted the two women, Newcastle Crown Court heard. 

Iqbal, of Hillcrest, Julianstown, County Meath, Ireland, denied two counts of sexual assault but was found guilty by a jury and has now been put behind bars.  

During an appointment with his first victim, in County Durham, Iqbal had asked her to stand up and rubbed up against her in an aroused state for around 40 seconds before squeezing her breasts. 

Some weeks later, in Sunderland, Iqbal asked the second victim to remove her top and he touched both of her naked breasts with his hands and 'had a good feel', the victim said.

The women went to Iqbal's clinic to have their physical injuries assessed following car accidents. 

The predator, who was a partner at a GP practice, was paid by insurance companies to provide medical reports and regularly came to the UK from his home in Ireland, where he was a GP, to carry out this work.

One of the victims had suffered significant physical injuries in the car accident and when she had to relive the crash while with Iqbal, she became upset, to the extent he recommended in his report that she receive psychological counselling for it. 

One of the women told the court in a victim impact statement: 'I went to you as a doctor, as someone in a position of trust.

'You not only completely betrayed this position but also the medical oath you have taken.

'You sexually assaulted me that day and I can never forgive you for that. On the day I found out Dr Iqbal had been found guilty I cried so hard, I was shaking.

'I really hope that if there are other people who have been sexually assaulted by you, that they can find the courage and strength from this verdict, come forward and report you. 

'You should never ever be allowed or have the opportunity to set up as any kind of health practitioner, be it medical or holistic that lends itself to private consultations with clients or patients behind closed doors.'

The second victim told the court: 'I've gone through a myriad of emotions one of which was anger. 

'When Dr Iqbal chose to assault me in the medical examination I was vulnerable. I remember being in floods of tears recounting what happened during the accident.

'He took advantage of that vulnerability and he was wrong to do so... when I left the examination I realised I was in shock and that shock continued for months.

'Then I was angry. Angry at the fact that Dr Iqbal had lied on the report, more importantly that he assaulted me. He broke a sacred trust.'

She added: 'I've also experienced fear and anxiety and I'm still cautious whenever I have to go to any medical appointments.'

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Bindloss said to Iqbal: 'You were well aware of the harm the accident had caused to her psychologically. 

'That made her vulnerable and you knew of her vulnerability prior to sexually assaulting her.' 

He added: 'Patients need to know the doctor they are seeing has their best interests at heart - that's the basis for the whole relationship.

'[The victims] in their victim personal statements mention the breach of trust and the effect it's had on them and their confidence. 

'In my judgment, the only way appropriate punishment can be achieved is by immediate custody.'

Phil Gibbs, defending, said: 'He accepts through his actions he has brought an end to a relatively illustrious career and brought about his downfall. That's a significant punishment.

'He accepts he will never work as a doctor again. His actions have brought all of this downfall on himself. 

'He has lost his good name, he has placed his family in peril because he now has no income and his wife has no income.

'Their three children are adults. They still have a fairly significant mortgage, which it's unclear how they are going to meet now.'

Iqbal was a 'well-regarded doctor and colleague' and character references described him as generous, loyal, courteous, of good humour, caring and compassionate, the court heard.