A GP working in Chelmsford has been convicted of sexually assaulting a young mother during a spur-of-the-moment abdominal examination at the walk in centre near Sainsbury's.
Jurors at Chelmsford Crown Court found Dr Olakunle Arowojolu, 54, guilty of sexual assault this afternoon (October 16) following 100 minutes of deliberation and a four-day trial.
The Nigerian expat, also a former partner at Kelvedon and Feering Health Centre, stood accused of assaulting the woman at the North Chelmsford NHS walk-in centre in Springfield.
After the jury returned the verdict, the mother of the victim broke into tears while her father shouted "result".
The defendant's friends and family, about five of them sitting in the public gallery, wailed in agony, some of them humming, while Mr Arowojolu broke into a series of whispers in a foreign language.
Speaking to the jury earlier this week, prosecutor Carolyn Gardiner said: "She was scared and described to the police as being frozen in fear."
Mr Arowojolu is said to have sexually assaulted the woman during a night shift at the centre at about 12.40am on Monday, July 22 last year.
He invited the woman, who had been sitting in the reception area, into a consultancy room for an impromptu examination following a discussion about her stomach.
Once inside however, for a total of seven minutes, he slipped his hand below her knickers during a series of sit-up exercises. The court heard he placed three fingers around and over her genitals and also rubbed around her breast with his left hand.
"At first I was shocked," she said, while giving evidence to the jury this week.
After the two left the room, he left the building, but was arrested about six hours later.
It also emerged Mr Arowojolu faced one allegation of inappropriately touching a patient's nipple with a stethoscope in 2010 – but police dropped the case.
Mr Arowojolu denied ever sexually assaulting the woman at the walk-in centre last year, and said he carried out the spontaneous abdominal exam because he could see she was concerned.
The doctor, of Tollgate Drive, Stanway, was allowed to leave the dock on bail today but must return to court during the week of Monday, November 10, to be sentenced.
Sexual assault of this nature carries a maximum 10-year jail term.
The victim's mother told the Chronicle upon leaving court today: "Justice has been done."
