Because of the explicit nature of the testimony in this court proceeding, readers are cautioned to exercise discretion. Some may find the content disturbing.
REGINA – A Crown prosecutor says she will be seeking a "significant" jail term for a Regina doctor convicted of sexually assaulting two former patients.
A jury found Dr. Edward Poon guilty of the two charges on Wednesday, while declaring him not-guilty of four other sexual assault allegations and two breaches. Poon showed no reaction to the verdicts, sitting slightly slumped in the witness box as he had throughout his three-week-long trial. Sentencing arguments will take place at Regina Court of Queen’s Bench on Monday morning.
Outside court, Poon’s lawyer, Aaron Fox spoke briefly to reporters, while Poon stood to the side in silence.
"We’re going to take a couple days to digest the verdict," Fox said. There’s really not very much we can say at this point time. We may have something more that we can say on Monday after sentencing takes place."
Whatever the outcome, Monday’s sentencing will not be the end of Poon’s legal journey.
The 60-year-old Regina doctor is still facing two additional charges of sexual assault relating to other female complainants. Those allegations – one of which dates back to the 1980s, and the other to the 90s – were brought forward after Poon was charged with sexual assault in 2008.
The older charges were severed from the allegations heard at this trial, because of the time period in which they occurred. There is no trial date set for the older charges.
Throughout Poon’s three-week long trial, court heard testimony from six women who alleged inappropriate touching during breast and pelvic examinations.
Poon denied all of the sexual assault allegations. Taking the witness stand in his own defence, Poon testified that he would often hug, compliment, and hold hands with patients and staff, but said nothing he did was for a sexual purpose.
The jury found Poon guilty of sexual assault in regard to the first complainant, who had testified that Poon repeatedly rubbed, pinched and touched her breasts and nipples, put his head on her bare breasts to check her heartbeat, rubbed her clitoris and vagina, and sometimes touched her vagina and breasts simultaneously during what was supposed to have been a medical examination.
The woman went to police the day after seeing Poon at a Regina walk-in clinic in February 2008.
The other conviction relates to the third complainant. In that case, the sexual assault occurred after the woman asked Poon for a referral to a gynecologist to deal with a problem she was having with painful intercourse.
The woman told court that Poon asked to examine her, then began "rubbing, rubbing, stroking, rubbing" her vagina and clitoris for an estimated 35 to 40 minutes, like "he was pleasuring (her.)"
"I couldn’t think of any medical reason why your doctor would feel the need to rub your clitoris constantly with direct stimulation for the amount of time that he did," she said.
The woman testified that she felt "like a piece of meat, like a piece of flesh there for the taking."
The seven-woman, five-man jury deliberated for 2 1/2 days before returning its verdicts.
After the jury’s decision, Crown prosecutor Connie Hottinger argued that Poon should be taken into custody until sentencing, saying that the presumption of innocence no longer applies in light of the two convictions, and adding that the physician is now looking at "a significant custodial sentence."
Fox argued that Poon should remain in the community until his sentencing and Justice Ted Malone ultimately agreed, saying he would "take a chance" and allow Poon to stay out of custody.
"He’s been convicted of two offences, not eight," he said.
jpruden@leaderpost.canwest.com
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