A doctor who climbed through a female colleague’s window in the middle of the night, restrained her by the neck and pushed her against a wall has been suspended.
A tribunal heard that Dr Arruran Sivakumar persistently harassed the doctor for two years and was physically abusive, cruel, controlling and obsessive before then harassing another colleague.
But the tribunal decided not to permanently strike off Dr Sivakumar and instead suspended him for nine months.
The hearing was told he was driven by immaturity and it ruled his actions as a ‘younger man’ were not incompatible with him being a doctor.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service heard Dr Sivakumar, who is currently training to be a surgeon, became jealous after his relationship with his fellow doctor ended.
Dr Sivakumar harassed the woman, named only as Dr A to protect her identity for legal reasons, for more than two years.
The tribunal heard that between 2013 and 2016 he repeatedly called her and went to the ward where she was working to talk to her.
He also left presents on her doorstep.
Dr Sivakumar became angry if the female doctor did not do as he demanded and answer his repeated attempts to contact her, the tribunal was told.
On one occasion, Dr Sivakumar climbed though Dr A’s bedroom window in the night, held her hands together while she lay in bed and then refused to let her to get out of bed.
He was also physically abusive towards her both in public and in private on other occasions, the hearing was told.
The tribunal heard he pushed her to the ground, pushed her up against a wall, pinned her arms by her sides and grabbed her hands.
On several occasions, he put his arms across her neck and restrained her as well as grabbing her by the arms, which caused bruising.
The hearing was also told that he was emotionally and verbally abusive, becoming angry if she spoke to male friends and if she did not want to see him.
The tribunal said: “Intentional cruelty to Dr A was apparent [when Dr Sivakumar said to her]: ‘Everyone hates you, but I still have your back’ or ‘I’m going to tell him, he’s going to find out what a slut you are.’
“The Tribunal saw this as emotionally abusive, manipulative and likely to isolate Dr A, as it did.”
He even continued to harass her for 18 months, despite receiving a warning letter from Dr A’s lawyers telling him to stop all contact with her.
The tribunal heard Dr Sivakumar’s actions were driven by jealousy, immaturity and alcohol.
It was told that he found it hard to accept the rejection from Dr A when their relationship ended.
Dr Sivakumar also harassed another female colleague, referred to as Dr B, between 2017 and 2018, after she told him she did not want to be in an exclusive relationship with him.
The tribunal heard he repeatedly messaged Dr B – who was junior to him - even though she had told him not to contact her on several occasions.
The tribunal said: “Dr Sivakumar used threatening language to Dr B, such as: ‘If someone bites, I’ll bite harder,’ and unkind remarks such as ‘I have everything, you have nothing’ or ‘you will never get to where I am.’
“This was inappropriate and undermining.”
Dr Sivakumar’s lawyer told the tribunal his misconduct stemmed from his previous immaturity and was an ‘inappropriate’ response to rejection at the time.
The tribunal heard he had since received a Rising Surgical Star and Junior Doctor Award as well as letters of appreciation from senior colleagues, including one for acting up as registrar when working at Southampton University Hospital in Hampshire.
The tribunal ruled: “A difficult break up, or unreciprocated desire to be in an ‘exclusive’ couple, cannot be used to justify or excuse his physical, verbal and emotional abuse of Dr A and harassment of Dr B.
“The tribunal considered that Dr Sivakumar’s behaviour cannot be excused on the basis that Dr A was his first ‘serious relationship’.
“Immaturity, jealousy or intoxication may provide some explanation, but nothing justified his actions.”
But the tribunal decided not to strike Dr Sivakumar off and instead suspended him for nine months.
It said: “In view of Dr Sivakumar’s efforts to remediate and develop insight in the past few weeks, the Tribunal accepted counsel’s submission that Dr Sivakumar’s actions as a younger man are not fundamentally incompatible with continued registration.”
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