Doctor's hush-money claim denied

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A Canterbury doctor has denied a $50,000 agreement to settle with a woman who made sex and drugs-related complaints against him was "hush money".

The doctor, who has interim name suppression, is defending a charge of disgraceful conduct. He is appearing before the Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal in Christchurch.

He spent most of yesterday being cross-examined by complaints assessment committee lawyer Chris Lange who suggested the doctor had "constructed a story to explain away" his conduct.

The doctor denied the allegation, although he admitted several "exaggerations" in the numerous email exchanges between himself and the woman, whose identity is permanently suppressed.

Lange suggested the doctor had told his lawyers to approach the woman to try to settle and suggested the agreement was "hush money".

The doctor said he believed it was the woman's lawyers who initiated a settlement. An agreement was signed by the doctor, his wife, the complainant and her husband in February 2004, but the doctor said he did not pay the $50,000 detailed in the deal.

No further evidence or statements were given on why the agreement was signed, but the money was not paid.

The doctor repeated his claims that the woman had tried to "trap me, hurt me and extract money from me".

Although the doctor repeatedly denied the complainant had been a patient in 1985, he admitted their emails in 2000 could be interpreted that way.

Lange suggested the emails were leading towards "physical meetings".

The doctor said that had been talked about, but never happened.

- © Fairfax NZ News