January 11, 2023
Riel Karmy-Jones KC, leading Edward Franklyn of 2 Harcourt Buildings, prosecuted former “well regarded” family doctor Manish Shah of Romford, Essex.
On December 14th 2022, Shah was found guilty of 25 charges of assault by penetration, and sexual assault, against four female patients aged between 15-34, committed between 2009 and 2013. The trial lasted 10 weeks.
This was Shah’s third trial, and he was already serving 3 life sentences for 90 previous offences. Previous trials were prosecuted in 2018 by Rosina Cottage KC and in 2019 Kate Bex KC. The convictions bring the total offending to 115 counts of assault by penetration and sexual assault against 28 women.
Shah had convinced the women and girls to undergo intimate and medically unjustified breast and vaginal examinations by grooming them, exploiting their trust in him, and preying on their medical histories and fears about their health, such as family histories of cancer.
On Monday 9 January at the Old Bailey, HH Peter Rook KC imposed 2 additional life sentences with a minimum of 10 years, to run concurrently with earlier sentences. The 2 life sentences relate to offences against the two youngest victims, who were aged 15 and 17 when Mr Shah began to abuse them. Further determinative jail terms were imposed for the other offences, to run concurrently with the life sentences.
Riel Karmy-Jones KC has a high profile practice specialising in murder, modern slavery and human trafficking, and serious sexual offences, with an emphasis on complex investigations involving vulnerable witnesses and defendants. She both prosecutes and defends – [Riel Karmy-Jones KC profile ]. She was instructed by Paul Goddard of the London CPS Complex Casework Unit.
Kate Bex KC, nominated as Crime Silk of the year 2022, is a highly regarded criminal advocate who defends and prosecutes in cases requiring considerable skill. She specialises in murder, sexual offences and large scale serious and organised crime [Kate Bex KC profile]
HHJ Rosina Cottage KC was appointed Circuit Judge in 2022.
News stories:
[Independent]
[Standard]
[Sky News]
[The Times]
[CPS]
[LBC]
