A senior intensive care doctor at Morriston Hospital has been sentenced after he was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault at the hospital.
55-year-old Naleen Thota, from Penllergaer, cornered and sexually assaulted two female members of staff at the hospital on separate occasions.
Swansea Crown Court heard that the women did not report the incident straight away as they were worried they would not be believed and were concerned of Thota’s position of power at the hospital.
Thota trained as doctor in India and moved to Swansea 22 years ago, eventually becoming an associate specialist in anaesthetics.
Married Thota, who has two daughters, had denied two charges of sexual assault but was found guilty after a trial. He has no previous convictions.
Personal statements by his two victims saw one describe how Thota had “wielded his position of power like a weapon to hurt me and silence me”. The other victim said Thota used a “friendly facade” to groom the women and had been “predatory and calculating”.
Judge Catherine Richards at Swansea Crown Court praised the victims’ bravery for coming forward and said they had shown “enormous courage and strength” through the trial.
Judge Richards sentenced Thota to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years. He will be a registered sex offender for the next ten years, and will be subject of restraining orders against the two victims for the same period.
He has also been ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work.
Sergeant Danielle Thorne from South Wales Police said: “Naleen Thota abused his position as a senior doctor at Morriston Hospital.
“On two separate occasions, he ensured that he and his victims were alone together and that nobody could see what he was doing.
“This was predatory behaviour which has left his victims with a huge impact to their mental health.
“Both victims showed tremendous courage in coming forward and reporting Naleen Thota’s actions, and we hope that they feel some comfort that he has now been found guilty and sentenced.”
