A doctor accused of sexual assault claimed in court that the complainant gave him her phone number after he assessed her. 

Dr Abdelaziz Elrefeay, 36, is currently standing trial at Bolton Crown Court, accused of sexually assaulting a female patient in his care.

Elrefeay, of Beehive Road, Great Lever, is accused of sexually assaulting the 22-year-old woman when she attended Fairfield General Hospital in Bury in the early hours of January 13, 2021.

The court has previously heard evidence from the complainant, colleagues of the defendant and from the leading detective on the case.

Yesterday, Thursday, Elrefeay himself took to the stand, after having begun giving evidence the previous day.

Defending, Zoe Johnson KC opened the day by questioning the doctor about his assessment of the complainant. 

She asked him about the details of the assessment, such as what medical procedures he carried out and how he kept records of it. 

She said: "How would you describe your record keeping?" to which he replied: "Horrible." 

Regarding the texts sent to the complainant, Ms Johnson asked the defendant how he came to have her mobile number. 

He said: "From her. She gave it to me, said I was an amazing doctor, I am worried about my health. 

"She offered me her mobile number so I can contact and say she is fine." 

He said that when she gave him her mobile number, he did not plan on contacting her at the time. 

After being asked why he didn't decline the number, Elrefeay said: "I was supposed to do that, but I took it because she was anxious. 

Ms Johnson asked him: "Did you sexually assault (the complainant)?" to which Elrefeay replied: "I swear, no." 

Prosecuting, Mark Kellett cross examined Elrefeay about his involvement with the complainant. 

Mr Kellett referred to evidence Elrefeay gave during his police interview, when he said he contacted the complainant because of her high levels of anxiety when he saw her, which could have led to an anxiety-induced heart attack. 

He said: "You felt the need to text this 22-year-old woman later that night because of worry about a heart attack. 

"You were prepared to discharge her with a paracetamol, a single paracetamol, that was on the care plan. 

"There is nothing in there about high levels of anxiety. This patient was so anxious that it might cause a heart attack that you had to contact her the following night." 

Elrefeay said: "I don't need to document that. It's not my job in the A&E."

Mr Kellett continued: "It's not your job? You have a concern that a patient may be so anxious that they could have a heart attack but it's not your job." 

He asked Elrefeay about the text messages he sent to the complainant, in relation to his experience of texting patients being a normal part of practice in Egypt and Oman. 

He said: "Why haven't you answered the question 'how have you got my number?'" 

Elrefeay said: "Because she started attacking me. In this moment I feel I have been trapped, tricked."

Mr Kellett said: "She has not trapped you into anything you think is wrong.

"Why not simply say you gave me this number?" 

Elrefeay replied: "I should do that, in that time I feel I have been trapped she has given me her number and attacked me." 

Following Mr Kellett's cross examination, Judge Elliot Knopf asked the defendant if he would have already had the complainant's contact details from a sheet that had already been printed out, to which he agreed. 

Judge Knopf said: "So you had her mobile telephone number on this document? You didn't say to her no I've got it, it's on the record?"

He replied: "No I didn't say."

All of the evidence in the case has now been presented to the jury. 

Tomorrow, the barristers and judge will give their final speeches and then the jury will deliberate on their verdict.