A RESPECTED family GP walked free from court after being found not guilty of fondling a woman in a jacuzzi.

Doctor Soma Sudershan Reddy, 65, had been accused of touching Gillian Watson during visits to the Living Well Health and Fitness Suite of the Hilton Hotel in Bellshill, Lanarkshire.

It was alleged the GP,  who works at the Manse Road Medical Centre in Newmains, Lanarkshire, fondled Miss Watson's legs on two occasions at the health suite between September 1 and October 31, 2006 and again on August 6, 2007.

Miss Watson claimed that on both occasions she was in the jacuzzi with a friend when the doctor touched her under the water.

But at Hamilton Sheriff Court Sheriff Joyce Powrie threw out the allegations due to a lack of evidence.

During the trial depute fiscal Emma Toner was told by Miss Watson how she been in the jacuzzi with her friend Ian Hamilton at the centre in October 2006.

She said: "I was in the jacuzzi sitting with Ian. A man came in and sat right next to me. He kept his hands under the water.

"He touched the back of my right leg and my bottom.

"At first, I thought it was an accident but the longer it went on I felt it was intentional."

Miss Watson also gave evidence about the second alleged incident on August 6, 2007 which was shown to the court through a DVD of the CCTV footage.

She claimed that Dr Reddy entered the jacuzzi and sat next to her, and that when she appeared distressed, her female friend moved around the jacuzzi in the opposite direction to create some space.

She added: "We kept moving round but then he kept moving round.

"I felt very uncomfortable. I don’t think it was accident when it had happened more than once."

Dr Reddy, of Hamilton, Lanarkshire, had denied both allegations of sexually aggravated breach of the peace.

Giving evidence during his trial the GP of 28 years experience told the court he had only gone to the club during the dates in question to treat a sore back.

Defence QC Andrew Lamb questioned the Crown's case against the doctor claiming the evidence given by both Miss Watson and Mr Hamilton was flawed.

He said: "Both Gillian Watson and Ian Hamilton in their evidence stated that the event that they described happened at the end of August or the beginning of September.

"If this was the case then the only occasion they could have met Dr Reddy in the jacuzzi was when he visited the suite with his wife on September 5.

"But the records show that both Gillian Watson and Ian Hamilton weren't in the club that day.

"The only other time they could have been together was on October 12...but again Dr Reddy's mobile telephone records show that he had left the club by the time Mr Hamilton arrived.

"This casts extreme doubt over the reliability of the accounts given by the witnesses and especially the incident described by Miss Watson.

"Dr Reddy is a responsible and caring practitioner who has done a lot for his community and for charity.

"It is inconceivable that a man in that position would deliberately disturb or assault a lady in a jacuzzi which is covered by CCTV."

Sheriff Joyce Powrie found the doctor not guilty on both charges.

She said: "There is insufficient evidence to convict you."