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A Sydney doctor accused of sexually assaulting multiple patients over decades has been granted bail to live at his Bellevue Hill home while awaiting trial, as a court heard further charges could follow.
Andrew Robert Small, 70, a general practitioner at Waterloo Medical Centre, was arrested when police raided the clinic early on Thursday morning. He was later charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and sexual assault.
A police prosecutor opposed bail on Friday, telling the court the alleged offences were committed from a position of trust by a doctor, on multiple patients, over a period spanning decades.
“And he is still actively committing offences,” the prosecutor submitted, noting the most recent allegation occurred in March.
One allegation involved a woman who was sexually assaulted after seeing the doctor for stomach pain.
“It falls outside the ambit of what ordinary practice would be,” the prosecutor said.
He told the court another complainant had come forward following news of Small’s arrest, and was expected to provide a statement to police on Friday afternoon about alleged offences against her beginning when she was 15 years old.
But Judge Daniel Covington said there was not much he could do with that information unless further charges eventuated, at which point an application could be made to return Small to custody.
Small’s barrister, Troy Edwards, SC, said the alleged offending occurred in a “particular context that would no longer be available” if he was granted bail but prevented from practicing as a doctor.
Edwards said Small had responded to previous complaints made to the state’s Health Care Complaints Commission and would do so with the criminal proceedings.
“He’s not going anywhere,” Edwards said.
“He’s going to engage in this process, and he’s going to say that he’s innocent.”
A plea has not yet been formally entered.
Small watched on with his glasses perched on his head, occasionally nodding in agreement with his barrister’s arguments on his behalf.
He thanked the judge and confirmed he understood the conditions of his release after being granted bail with a surety of $50,000.
Small’s case is due to return to court on July 16.
He has been ordered to live at Bellevue Hill, report to police at Rose Bay twice a week, and stay away from the medical centre where he was arrested.
Small began working at the Waterloo centre in 1987. The earliest alleged offending so far reported took place the following year.
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Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
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