Married locum GP who fondled teenager's breasts in 'moment of madness' when she came to him with chest pains is jailed.

A married GP who fondled a vulnerable teenager's breasts when she came to him complaining of chest pains has been jailed for 18 months.

Dr Unt Tun Maung, 43, was working as a locum GP when he assaulted the patient during a routine examination at a Teesside medical centre in 2012, Durham Crown Court was previously told.

The father-of-one, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, had spent 12 years working in the NHS, but has now lost everything because of a 'moment of madness', his lawyer told the court

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The attack took place during a routine appointment in July 2012 when the girl went to Maung complaining of chest pains.

Maung then asked the teenager to remove her bra, before cupping and squeezing her breasts before telling her to put her clothes back on.

After the incident, the woman texted a friend to say she felt she had been sexually abused.

In a statement read to the court, she said had not wanted to believe she had been taken advantage of, but she could not rid it from her mind. 

Then, when she visited another doctor a few months later with another chest infection, she panicked while being examined, the court heard. 

A complaint was made to the NHS, although the police were not alerted for 'several months', prosecutor Peter Makepeace said. 

Dr Maung came from a medical family and had worked in the NHS since moving to the UK in 2000, Mr Hurst said, and was held in high regard both professionally and personally. 

He had devoted 12 years of his life to working in the NHS and had also helped contribute to his Buddhist community, defence barrister Andrew Hurst said.

Mr Hurst asked the judge to suspend the sentence, saying Maung's earning potential had been decimated and he had lost the respect of the community, to the point that his conviction 'effectively amounts to a life sentence'. 

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Maung was jailed for 18 months for the attack, which took place in 2012, is currently suspended from practicing and is facing a General Medical Council investigation

Judge Prince told Maung he had previously been of 'exemplary' character, had made a significant contribution to society, both as a 'diligent and dedicated doctor' and in the wider community.

He added that Maung was clearly held in high regard by numerous people of high standing. 

However, the judge concluded that only an immediate prison sentence would be appropriate for the crime and deter others from behaving in such a way in future.

Dr Maung has been suspended from general practice since October 2013 and now faces a General Medical Council investigation. Judge Prince added that his NHS career was 'unquestionably over'.

Maung will also be placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years, but was not told to pay the victim any compensation, though she can pursue him through the civil courts.