An accused doctor is being charged with depositing his embryo in tea he offered to a woman.
The allegation is denied by Dr Nicholas John Chapman (54), who has been suspended from the North Curry Health Centre in Taunton. He was previously responsible for 4,000 patients.
The details of the case against him were outlined during a 40-minute hearing at Taunton Magistrates’ Court in Somerset.
On September 13, 2013, Dr Chapman of Kingston St Mary in Somerset was charged with trying to induce a 16-year-old woman to have sexual activity (no penetration) without her consent.
Dr Nicholas John Chapman (pictured), 54, is charged with attempting to cause a woman aged 16 or over to engage in sexual activity (no penetration) without her consent on September 13 last year. Nigel Yeo, a defence lawyer said that Dr Chapman denied the allegations.
Giles Tippett was the prosecutor. He told magistrates that when the victim finished her drink she found a substance in her cup. She claimed it had been left by the defendant.
Tippett claimed that three days later, the incident had been reported to the police.
Nigel Yeo, defending, said his client’s response to the charge is ‘a straightforward denial’.
After deciding to stand trial in front of a judge or jury, Dr Chapman will be facing a plea-and-trial preparation hearing at Taunton Crown Court next month (pictured).
Dr Chapman was a South African citizen who graduated as a doctor from the University of Cape Town in 1994.
He was given the chance to defend himself at a trial in the magistrates’ court but elected to be tried in front of a judge and jury at Taunton Crown Court, where he will face a plea and trial preparation hearing on Monday, February 21.
Valerie Castell the chair of the bench released him with conditional bail. This included an order that he not contact any witnesses named.
Nigel Yeo (defending) said that all Dr Chapman’s “community ties” are located in the UK where he lives part-time with a child and his partner.