Bowral doctor David Bell charged with assault and intimidation

A hearing date has been set for a Southern Highlands anaesthetist who allegedly choked a woman during a fight over a cigarette. A court has heard he will likely be charged with a further 40 offences.

A hearing date has been set for a Southern Highlands anaesthetist accused of assault, although the court heard he could be charged with a further 40 offences

On Friday, Picton Local Court heard Dr David Bell, 40, will proceed to hearing to fight the charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intimidation, and choking without consent.

Police allege the Mittagong resident assaulted a woman at around 11am on September 26 in Mittagong after he became upset about her smoking a cigarette. Police claim Dr Bell pushed her in the shoulder before he put his hands around her throat and pinned her to the wall, leading the woman to believe she was being strangled.

Dr David Bell was an anaesthetist at Bowral and District Hospital. Picture: Wesley Lonergan

Police allege Dr Bell then pushed the woman back onto a bed and struck her on the left side of her face before pushing down on the woman’s face and neck while she lay on the bed. According to police, the doctor continued to push the woman’s face into the bed, even after she rolled over onto her stomach in an attempt to avoid the suffocating pressure.

The court heard the alleged victim has an audio recording of the alleged assault, during which police allege Dr Bell can be heard threatening to hurt and financially ruin her.

Police allege Dr Bell can be heard telling the woman “I’m going to beat the s*** out of you” and “I wanna punch you in the face right now” in the recording.

The court documents reveal Dr Bell works at the Bowral and District Hospital as an anaesthetist, however the court heard he has been suspended from his position due to the ongoing court proceedings.

Dr David Bell’s matter will return to Moss Vale Court for hearing. Picture: Wesley Lonergan

All parties agreed it was in the best interest of the community to fast track the matter through the court at a time when doctors are in high demand.

However, police prosecutor Peter Robinson said police had uncovered a number of new allegations related to the same complainant.

“The investigation has identified, through a statement from the complainant … up to and including 40 offences,” he said.

Sergeant Robinson said the charges have not been finalised but the defendant may be facing “potentially 40 plus sequences” in addition to the three charges already before the court.

Moss Vale Local Court heard of the new allegations on November 17, but the charges are yet to be formalised by police. Sgt Robinson conceded he hadn’t heard anything about the new charges from the officer in charge, but he reiterated Dr Bell will be charged with further offences.

“Your honour can be assured there will be new charges,” he said.

Dr Bell’s lawyer told the court his client could not continue to wait for the new charges to be laid and noted the lack of communication with the officer in charge.

He opted to forge ahead with a hearing date on February 7 next year for the three charges before the court. He suggested the date could be the first day of the hearing, which could then continue during a special fixture in June.

Magistrate Mark Douglass agreed with the decision.

“The urgency in relation to getting a hearing date was flagged early,” he said.

“If charges are (laid), I’d like those as soon as possible so other arrangements can be made.”

Dr Bell will appear in Moss Vale court on February 7 and again on June 27 and 28 next year to fight the charges against him.

He is currently on bail and the alleged victim is protected by an apprehended violence order.