A former Bracknell GP has appeared in court accused of a "campaign of abuse" against seven female patients - including one who under the age of 14 at the time - who say they were sexually assaulted at his doctor's surgery. 

Retired doctor Stephen Cox, 64, denies committing 16 indecent assaults on seven women while he was practising in the Ralph's Ride practice - now known as The Waterfield Practice - between 1988 and 1997.

Today at Reading Crown Court, a jury heard how the women allege that Dr Cox had used routine medical examination's for his "sexual gratification," according to prosecuting barrister Christopher Hewertson. 

The barrister recounted some of the "stark and visceral recollections" that the seven women are set to deliver in-person to the court across the trial. 

The allegations include accounts of Dr Cox tweaking patients' nipples, gyrating against them, and placing "nearly his whole hand" without a protective glove inside one pregnant patient. 

One patient says that she attended the surgery due to a sore back - only to be told to strip to her underwear before Dr Cox touched her breast, according to the prosecution, who said the patient found the behaviour "slimy."

The prosecution will use expert witnesses to argue that these incidents were "unnecessary and not justified."

The jury heard how one woman claims Dr Cox visited her home, grabbed her by the neck and threw her against a cupboard, while her children were inside the property. 

Meanwhile the defence is expected to claim that the charges can be explained as accidents, misunderstandings, or lies told by the former patients, according to Mr Hewertson. 

The defendant’s position, as the Crown understands it, is that "he does not remember any of these female patients or any of the appointments with any one of them," and that he "simply would not do" any of the actions he is accused of carrying out. 

But in advancing his case in his opening remarks, the prosecuting barrister asked the jury: "What are the chances of an upstanding and professional man of medicine being targeted by seven different women and accused of very similar sexual offences?

"Why would these seven women want to make false allegations against the GP?"

"What are the chances that each of them has simply ‘got it all wrong’?"

Judge Sarah Campbell explained to the jury that there had been a previous trial regarding some of the offences, and the jurors were instructed not to speculate on the outcome of those proceedings. 

The trial continues, with proceedings expected to continue on Tuesday.