Ex-doctor used rusty tool for circumcision - court

Mohammad Siddiqui caused "unnecessary pain and suffering" to 23 children, prosecutors said

A former doctor used a rusty medical instrument to circumcise children and gave insufficient pain relief, a court has heard.

Mohammad Siddiqui, 58, from Birmingham, caused "unnecessary pain and suffering" to 23 children from Muslim families, Southwark Crown Court was told.

One tool had a "rusty, serrated" edge while others had not been properly sterilised, prosecutors said.

The defendant denies 39 charges, including 17 counts of actual bodily harm, 14 of child cruelty and eight of administering a prescription-only medicine.

Mr Siddiqui carried out circumcisions at clients' homes "as quickly as possible to maximise profits", prosecutor Ben Douglas-Jones KC told the jury.

He said the defendant "cut corners" and "caused unnecessary pain, suffering, cruelty and risk".

In one case, a 15-year-old boy was taken to hospital by ambulance after being circumcised, the jury heard.

In a recorded police interview played in court, the boy told officers he began to bleed about half an hour after the procedure, which cost more than £300.

The boy had surgery and was left with stitches, the court was told.

Mr Douglas-Jones said a tool found in Mr Siddiqui's car had a "hook and serrated wheel showing signs of rust".

Another tool - a "circumcision immobiliser" to hold children in place - was considered unacceptable in NHS practice, the jury heard.

Mr Siddiqui often began procedures just "a few minutes" after administering anaesthetic cream, the prosecutor said.

The court heard that Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Avon and Somerset Police were involved in the investigation.

When interviewed by officers in 2019, the defendant said it was sometimes "difficult to know" why babies were crying and whether the cream was working, the court heard.

He told police he had carried out 1,200 to 1,500 such procedures since 2012, although the charges related to the years between 2014 and 2019, the court heard.

Previously, Mr Siddiqui was struck off the medical register and continued to carry out circumcisions privately, the jury was told.

The trial continues.