A CHINESE doctor has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a patient at a Bournemouth clinic.

Acupuncture expert Hongwei Dong, 60, was on trial at Bournemouth Crown Court charged with seven counts of sexual assault against a woman, aged in her 30s, between October and December 2018 at WeCare Remedy in Commercial Road.

Mr Dong, of Shirley House Drive, Charlton, denied all charges.

Yesterday the jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts to all counts after around two-and-a-half hours of deliberations.

The trial heard that the defendant was arrested by officers after the allegations were reported to the police.

In police interview he denied sexually assaulting the woman and said she was "making it up".

While giving evidence at the trial, Mr Dong said he had more than 30 years' experience in acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Answering questions from his barrister Nick Robinson, the defendant said he liked his job “very much”, adding “because I feel satisfaction about successfully treating a patient and the work I do is also something I am interested in”.

Mr Dong told the court through a translator that he maintained what he told police in interview.