A doctor who was known as 'an octopus' has been jailed for groping colleagues at the hospital where he worked as an anaesthetist. Dr Niaz Ahmed viewed women's genitals as they recovered from surgery and gave saucy underwear to a stunned young colleague, a court heard. The 55-year-old was known as 'always the octopus, hands all over the place' by nurses and staff who he made repeated lewd comments to at South Tyneside Hospital in Tyne and Wear. Dr Niaz Ahmed, pictured, was jailed for groping staff at the hospital where he worked as an anaesthetist . Newcastle Crown Court heard the 'highly skilled' doctor, who boasted he was 'looking for women the day after he got married' was repeatedly warned by hospital bosses to tone down his behaviour. A jury convicted him of two indecent assault charges on his co-workers, during incidents more than a decade ago. Judge Simon Hickey jailed Ahmed, of Broadlands, Cleadon, for 18 months and said he must sign the sex offender register for ten years. The judge said Ahmed had shown 'no remorse' for his behaviour, which he tried to pass off as 'social clumsiness'. The 55-year-old was known as 'always the octopus, hands all over the place' by nurses . Judge Hickey told him: 'These women expected, and could expect, to be treated not only with respect and courtesy but as professionals in their own right. 'You were expected not to touch them in any way, particularly a sexual way. 'The evidence in the case revealed your inappropriate behaviour towards women in general in the hospital. 'The nurses spoke in terms of you leaving your post as an anaesthetist and viewing the private, genital areas of women when they were unconscious. 'Others speak of you giving inappropriate underwear to one young nurse, extremely embarrassing her. Others speak of suggestive behaviour and comments. 'The evidence was overwhelming in terms of what you were doing and the boundaries you were stepping over. 'You used your authority over those two victims to commit these offences. 'This was not social clumsiness, this was a man who knew he was stepping over a clear line.' Ahmed, who was suspended from medical practice at a tribunal earlier this year for groping a nurse who was treating him after an accident in 2010, was cleared of three similar charges. The General Medical Council ruled Ahmed, who no longer works at the hospital, could continue to practice, under strict conditions, after the recent convictions. Prosecutor Michael Hodson told the court during the trial that Ahmed had not committed 'grave' sex crimes and caused no serious physical injury to his victims. But he added: 'Imagine what it was like going to work with a sex pest, always the octopus, hands all over the place, underlined by innuendo.' Ahmed made lewd comments to nurses and staff while working at South Tyneside District Hospital, pictured . Mr Hodson said one victim was targeted in the scrub room at the hospital, where Ahmed squeezed her bottom and asked her: 'Do you fancy it?' Another had her breasts prodded by the medic while she was at work and said he had told her 'put them away'. Ahmed denied the charges against him and claimed his behaviour was 'jokes and banter'. Mr Hodson added: 'As all sex pests may well do to get away with their nuisance behaviour, they pass it off as banter, as he did.' The court heard that during a meeting with hospital bosses in 2000, Ahmed accepted it was inappropriate to touch nurses and said any offence caused by him was entirely innocent and accidental. During a later meeting with management, he said his behaviour continued to be innocent and in fitting with the 'culture' of the hospital. Ahmed had claimed he was the victim of a 'witch hunt' in 2012 after he was cleared of sexually assaulting two teenage girls at a fireworks display in South Shields in 2011. The youngsters claimed Ahmed had groped them after boasting about the size of his manhood and complaining about his sex life with his wife. Tom Moran, defending, said Ahmed has had an offer of work out of the area, adding: 'He is highly regarded for his professional abilities.' Newcastle Crown Court, pictured, heard Ahmed viewed women's genitals as they recovered from surgery and gave saucy underwear to a stunned young colleague .
Dr Niaz Ahmed was jailed for 18 months for two counts of indecent assault .
Incidents were at South Tyneside Hospital where he was as an anaesthetist .
Jury convicted him over assaults which happened more than a decade ago .
He was known as 'always the octopus, hands all over the place' by staff .
A doctor who was known as 'an octopus' has been jailed for groping colleagues at the hospital where he worked as an anaesthetist. Dr Niaz Ahmed viewed women's genitals as they recovered from surgery and gave saucy underwear to a stunned young colleague, a court heard. The 55-year-old was known as 'always the octopus, hands all over the place' by nurses and staff who he made repeated lewd comments to at South Tyneside Hospital in Tyne and Wear. Dr Niaz Ahmed, pictured, was jailed for groping staff at the hospital where he worked as an anaesthetist . Newcastle Crown Court heard the 'highly skilled' doctor, who boasted he was 'looking for women the day after he got married' was repeatedly warned by hospital bosses to tone down his behaviour. A jury convicted him of two indecent assault charges on his co-workers, during incidents more than a decade ago. Judge Simon Hickey jailed Ahmed, of Broadlands, Cleadon, for 18 months and said he must sign the sex offender register for ten years. The judge said Ahmed had shown 'no remorse' for his behaviour, which he tried to pass off as 'social clumsiness'. The 55-year-old was known as 'always the octopus, hands all over the place' by nurses . Judge Hickey told him: 'These women expected, and could expect, to be treated not only with respect and courtesy but as professionals in their own right. 'You were expected not to touch them in any way, particularly a sexual way. 'The evidence in the case revealed your inappropriate behaviour towards women in general in the hospital. 'The nurses spoke in terms of you leaving your post as an anaesthetist and viewing the private, genital areas of women when they were unconscious. 'Others speak of you giving inappropriate underwear to one young nurse, extremely embarrassing her. Others speak of suggestive behaviour and comments. 'The evidence was overwhelming in terms of what you were doing and the boundaries you were stepping over. 'You used your authority over those two victims to commit these offences. 'This was not social clumsiness, this was a man who knew he was stepping over a clear line.' Ahmed, who was suspended from medical practice at a tribunal earlier this year for groping a nurse who was treating him after an accident in 2010, was cleared of three similar charges. The General Medical Council ruled Ahmed, who no longer works at the hospital, could continue to practice, under strict conditions, after the recent convictions. Prosecutor Michael Hodson told the court during the trial that Ahmed had not committed 'grave' sex crimes and caused no serious physical injury to his victims. But he added: 'Imagine what it was like going to work with a sex pest, always the octopus, hands all over the place, underlined by innuendo.' Ahmed made lewd comments to nurses and staff while working at South Tyneside District Hospital, pictured . Mr Hodson said one victim was targeted in the scrub room at the hospital, where Ahmed squeezed her bottom and asked her: 'Do you fancy it?' Another had her breasts prodded by the medic while she was at work and said he had told her 'put them away'. Ahmed denied the charges against him and claimed his behaviour was 'jokes and banter'. Mr Hodson added: 'As all sex pests may well do to get away with their nuisance behaviour, they pass it off as banter, as he did.' The court heard that during a meeting with hospital bosses in 2000, Ahmed accepted it was inappropriate to touch nurses and said any offence caused by him was entirely innocent and accidental. During a later meeting with management, he said his behaviour continued to be innocent and in fitting with the 'culture' of the hospital. Ahmed had claimed he was the victim of a 'witch hunt' in 2012 after he was cleared of sexually assaulting two teenage girls at a fireworks display in South Shields in 2011. The youngsters claimed Ahmed had groped them after boasting about the size of his manhood and complaining about his sex life with his wife. Tom Moran, defending, said Ahmed has had an offer of work out of the area, adding: 'He is highly regarded for his professional abilities.' Newcastle Crown Court, pictured, heard Ahmed viewed women's genitals as they recovered from surgery and gave saucy underwear to a stunned young colleague .
where he worked as an anaesthetist. Dr Niaz Ahmed was known as 'always the octopus, hands all over pictured, was jailed for groping staff at the jury convicted him of two indecent assault than a decade ago. Judge Simon Hickey jailed Ahmed, of Broadlands, Cleadon, for 18 months and over the place, underlined by innuendo.' Ahmed working at South Tyneside District Hospital,