A Sheffield doctor has appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Berkshire. The allegation is contested, and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Dr John O’Connell, 64, who runs The Sheffield Clinic in Broomhall, is accused of an offence in Hungerford in October 2024. He entered no formal plea at Reading Magistrates’ Court, was granted unconditional bail, and is due at Reading Crown Court on 17 August; his solicitor said he denies the allegation and will defend the case.