An Oamaru doctor infatuated with his intellectually-impaired patient has been sentenced to nine months’ home detention for molesting his victim across eight years. Stephen James Dawson, 60, appeared before Judge Joanna Maze in the Timaru District Court on Thursday, having pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a female over the age of 16 and doing an indecent act to a person of significant impairment. Judge Maze said from 2008 to 2016, Dawson breached the trust of the complainant by touching her breasts and hips, filming her topless, taking pictures of her wearing a new bra he bought her, and approaching her mother seeking permission to have sex with her. “The offending has been confined to this one victim,” Judge Maze said. “It seems clear you formed an infatuation with this victim.” Crown prosecutor Helen Bennett said the defendant, who worked as a general practitioner in Oamaru for 33 years, was aware his 46-year-old victim could not consent to sexual contact due to a mental age of 12-15. Dawson was convicted and sentenced to nine months’ home detention, and given his first strike under the three-strikes law.
