Former Dartmouth doctor pleads not guilty to sexual assault of patient

A former Dartmouth, N.S., doctor has pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual assault and will go to trial next August.

The lawyer for Graeme Bethune appeared by telephone in Nova Scotia Supreme Court Thursday morning to enter the not guilty plea and select trial dates.

Bethune had initially asked for a jury trial and the earliest available dates for that were in April 2023. Re-electing to a judge-alone trialmeant the trial would be shorter and could be scheduled sooner.

A former patient accused Bethune of sexually assaulting her during house calls in the mid-2000s.

Bethune is free on conditions until his trial.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia revoked his licence to practice medicine last year.