Dentist off hook after sexually harassing colleagues

A DENTIST who sexually harassed female colleagues and threatened to put naked photos of one of them on the internet has been allowed to keep working.

Stuart Todd, 34, made a string of inappropriate comments to two female members of staff at the surgery in Falkirk where he was working.

He repeatedly engaged a young dental nurse in sexual conversations in front of patients, told her he would send sexual material to her mobile phone and told her he was going to touch her.

Todd also told a dentist at the practice that if he saw her getting changed he would take photographs of her and put them on the internet.

The women complained to their bosses and Todd, from Edinburgh, was investigated by his professional body, the General Dental Council (GDC).

They held a disciplinary hearing into his case where he admitted the charges and said his behaviour had been “abhorrent”.

The disciplinary committee decided not to suspend him from working and instead placed conditions on his dental registration, including having his work supervised by another dentist.

The decision was challenged by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, which oversees the work of the GDC. It described it as “unduly lenient”.

It took the case to Scotland’s highest court, the Court of Session, in a bid to have the decision overturned, but three judges have now ruled that the GDC was fair and should not be reversed.

The incidents happened between February and April 2014 at the Clark & Watson Family Dental Practice.