Winston Lee convicted of molesting patient

SINGAPORE - A veteran doctor and motoring writer was convicted of two charges of molesting a female patient on Friday after a seven-day trial.

Winston Lee Siew Boon, 70, touched the breast of a then 34-year-old sales representative at Thong Hoe Clinic in Bukit Batok Street 11 on two occasions in June and October 2011.

The father of two has been a long-time contributor of motoring articles to The Straits Times' Life section and Torque magazine.

The victim had consulted Lee in June that year for nausea, flatulence and chest pain.

She was lying on the bed with her T-shirt lifted up when Lee began tapping her stomach.

When she complained of chest pain and asked the doctor if she could still exercise, Lee said, "Yes, as long as... you don't get chest pain here," as he inserted his hand into her bra and squeezed her breast.

At the time, she thought it was part of the examination.

However when he touched her breast again during a visit for a sore throat and to discuss weight management on Oct 30, she was left shocked and confused.

She lodged a police report the next day after seeking advice from her then boss and a female doctor.

District Judge Lim Tse Haw said the complainant's evidence was "unusually convincing" and her emotion, "real and telling". She had to collect herself before narrating the June incident.

He added: "The fact that the complainant had checked with two witnesses showed that she had great deference to Lee as a doctor."

The judge said the prosecution had also shown that the complainant had no motive to bring false allegations against Lee.

On the other hand, he said Lee had been an untruthful witness who could not satisfactorily explain the material inconsistency between his evidence in court and his statement.

The judge added that the evidence of Lee's nurse-cum-receptionist for the past 37 years was an "afterthought" and may also have been biased.

He adjourned the case to April 23 for Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Ong to address the court on sentence and for mitigation.

The maximum penalty for outrage of modesty is two years' jail, a fine and caning.

elena@sph.com.sg

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