Dentist: Sex assault accusation ‘traumatic’

THE Cork dentist on trial for sexually assaulting a dental nurse said the case had been a devastating and traumatic experience for him and his family.

John Tait, aged 60, of Glen House, Upper Rochestown, has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the nurse at the surgery at 6 St Patrick’s Terrace, Douglas.

Asked by his senior counsel Tim O’Leary how he felt about the accusation, Tait said it was “a devastating experience”.

“It is very hard on me, my family. It has been very hard to live with. I just cannot believe it. The trauma has been phenomenal.”

The woman, who is now in her mid-20s, testified on the opening day of the trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that she was offered free dental treatment and there was an examination.

“He had his hands on my jaw. He came down with his fingers on my sternum between my breasts,” she said.

The nurse claimed he told her she had a very low sternum and he could not reach it due to the wire of her bra and, if possible, could she go to the bathroom and remove her bra and come back. She did so and was wearing a vest and tunic.

“He asked me could he zip it (the tunic) down a bit and I said, ‘yes.’”

The woman added that the dentist was taking notes and asked her to sit back in the chair.

“Then he said, ‘Quickly, quickly, get up.’ My hands were on the tunic. He lifted my vest up to here (close to her neck)… My whole breasts were exposed. I think it was like that for a minute,” she said.

Mr O’Leary went through each step of these allegations with the accused yesterday, who denied each aspect.

Tait said he did not ask her to remove her bra or unzip her tunic and he did not lift her vest.

Asked if anything untoward occurred, Tait replied: “Not that I was aware of.”

The accused made similar denials when questioned by Sergeant Derek Mulcahy.

Professor Robert McConnell of the dental hospital at Cork University Hospital said it was unethical for a male practitioner to carry out an examination of a patient without an assistant or chaperone.

Tait said: “Normally now, I would have someone else in the room. Prior to that I did not think it was a huge issue.”

Mr O’Leary said Tait had no previous convictions.

The trial continues.