A doctor convicted of crushing a heavily-pregnant woman against a petrol station sign with her car, is already serving a suspended sentence for racially aggravated assault. LINDA PIPER reports ...

Dr May Arnaot was convicted at Blackfriars Crown Court last week of dangerous driving, damaging property and common assault, following the incident in August last year.

The Iraqi doctor, who practises privately, was cleared of racially aggravated assault on Sarah Chambers, 25, on the orders of the judge.

The jury failed to reach a verdict on charges of actual bodily harm against Miss Chambers and common assault against her fiance Steven Boakes.

The court heard how Miss Chambers and Mr Boakes, also 25, were driving home when their Ford Fiesta almost collided with Arnaot's Nissan X-trail 4X4 as they came off the A2 slip road at the Black Prince interchange, Bexley.

They clashed again at the traffic lights in Gravel Hill, Bexleyheath, when Mr Boakes went to speak to Arnaot about her driving.

The court heard the GP drove through the red light, then reversed back, missing Mr Boakes but ramming the front of his car.

The 50-year-old, of Chandlers Drive, Erith, denied this and alleged Mr Boakes had punched her and tried to assault her twice more.

The couple followed the doctor to a petrol station in Bexley Road, Northumberland Heath, where Miss Chambers got out to ask Arnaot for her insurance details.

Witnesses, including an ambulance crew who were filling up at the pumps, described Miss Chambers as calm and polite, and the GP as "like a woman possessed".

Miss Chambers, who is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome as a result of the incident, was too ill to attend court.

In her statement, she claimed Arnaot had shouted at her: "You are Tony Blair's bitch. All you white people are the same. You all vote for Tony Blair."

Arnaot then drove out of the petrol station, crushing Miss Chambers against an exit sign.

As she collapsed and the ambulance crew went to her aid, Mr Boakes ran after Arnaot and snatched the keys from her ignition, stopping her car.

Miss Chambers' statement could only be treated as hearsay and Judge Deva Pillay ordered that there was not enough evidence to prove the charge of racially aggravated assault.

Arnaot, who phoned police claiming she had been attacked, later called one of the ambulance crew who offered to move her car, an "English racist pig".

And in her statement she accused police of siding with the "English, Kentish, blond people and their witnesses".

Arnaot, who has launched an appeal against the conviction, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.

After the jury brought in their verdict, they heard how Arnaot was in breach of a suspended sentence for racially aggravated common assault.

She was given a four-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, by Horseferry Road magistrates in June 2005, after being found guilty of slapping a railway employee in the face.

Businesswoman says she was victim' too

BLACKFEN businesswoman Seda Cornwill, 28, claims she was another of Arnaot's victims after the GP parked illegally on her private forecourt and damaged her car in August this year.

Mrs Cornwill claims when she told Arnaot she could not park there and she had damaged her car, she got a torrent of abuse.

She followed the doctor and stood in front of her, putting her hand on the doctor's bag to stop her.

Mrs Cornwill claims Arnaot started screaming she had been assaulted, and pushed her backwards before calling the police to claim she had been assaulted.

When Mrs Cornwill asked another shopkeeper if she had seen the incident, she claims Arnaot started shouting Mrs Cornwill was "recruiting English witnesses to conspire against her".

Banned for 18 months

THE General Medical Council (GMC) has placed an interim ban on Arnaot preventing her from practising as a doctor.

The 18-month ban came into force in November last year and is due to expire in May.

The GMC has now opened an investigation into Arnaot's fitness to practise as a doctor.

The ban could end in a disciplinary hearing for the doctor, the ban could be lifted, or it could expire without any further action being taken.

Arnaot, who trained in Holland, registered with the GMC in 1995.