A Brisbane doctor will spend three months behind bars after sexually assaulting a female patient seeking treatment for diarrhoea and nausea.
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Ramin Harirchian, 51, had consulted the patient before but on this day told her she looked sexy, slapped her bottom and touched her vagina.
The assault only stopped when the 26-year-old moved away and left her distressed.
Harirchian was originally charged with rape and sexual assault but the rape charge was amended to sexual assault during the trial and he was discharged of the initial sexual assault offence.
A jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting the patient at a medical centre in Brisbane in October 2018.
On Friday, Harirchian was sentenced in Brisbane District Court to eight months' prison, which will be suspended after three months.
The skin-on-skin sexual assault was a significant breach of a vulnerable person's trust, Judge Paul Smith said.
He said letters from colleagues and patients had shown Harirchian was regarded as a "very competent and respected medical doctor".
"It is bizarre that you committed this offence bearing in mind how people regard you," Justice Smith added.
He was convicted of 21 offences including 18 fraud charges earlier this year.
In that case he filled out pain medication scripts in the names of his patients but took them to pharmacies to collect the drugs himself.
Australian Associated Press
