July 2023

Plymouth doctor sexually assaults young girl during examination at GP surgery

A trainee doctor has been convicted of a number of sexual offences including sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13 during an examination at a GP surgery, possession of over 2,000 Category A images of kids showing the rape and torture of children. 

He also pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornographic images involving an animal – namely six images which portrayed in an explicit and realistic way, a person performing and act of intercourse with a dog and publishing “obscene” articles on internet chat platforms

Dr Gary Lawrence, aged 53, was found guilty by a jury at Plymouth Crown Court on Thursday after previously pleading not guilty to the offence, which took place in 2021.

Lawrence appeared in court in December 2022 where he offered a series of pleas regarding a number of offences.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of a sexual assault by touching of a girl under the age of 13 from an incident in June 2021.

However during the December hearing, Lawrence pleaded guilty to two counts of publishing “obscene” articles between December 2020 and October 21 on internet chat platforms.

The 53-year-old from Honicknowle also pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children between December 2017 and June 2021 – namely 2,182 Category A images – and of making indecent images between the same dates, namely 1,947 Category B images.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornographic images involving an animal – namely six images which portrayed in an explicit and realistic way, a person performing and act of intercourse with a dog.

Further to this, Lawrence pleaded guilty to possessing eight prohibited images of children and and a further count of making indecent images of of children – namely 11,744 Category C images.

In a four-day trial this week, a Plymouth jury found Lawrence guilty of the charge of a sexual assault by touching of a girl under the age of 13.

A letter was sent from St Neots surgery to patients with children about Lawrence at the time and the charges he faced.

The letter noted the court appearance following a police investigation which was supported by the local NHS.

The letter went on to state that Lawrence joined St Neots “on a training placement organised by Health Education England in July 2020” but he was suspended from the practice when the allegations were made.

It added: “We recognise that this may come as a shock, given that you have children registered at the practice, but would like to stress that they have not been the subject of any police investigation.”

Lawrence will be sentenced at a later date. He has been granted bail until his sentencing.