A doctor slapped a nine-year-old girl around the face out of the blue in a hospital room, a court heard yesterday.

Dr Hossam Dabis, 62, from Sutton, is standing trial at South East Surrey Magistrates’ Court accused of hitting the girl at Epsom Hospital on August 23 last year.

The girl who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared via video link and told the court she had been sitting on her dad’s knee with her mother, sister and brother at the time.

In a pre-recorded interview shown in court, she said: "All of a sudden he leaned over and slapped me on the cheek. I think he had a pen in his hand at the time."

She said he told her to pick up his pen, which had fallen on the floor, and asked whether she was a ‘good girl or not a good girl'.

She said: "I said ‘I’m cheeky’ and he said ‘is it because I hit you?’" She said the slap really hurt and she was left feeling a mixture of upset, scared, sad and a bit embarrassed.

"I wanted to do judo on him but held back," she said, adding: "It really, really upset me and I never want to see him again. If I see him again I’m going to put a blindfold over my eyes."

The court was also shown a video interview with her younger sister who said the slap left behind a red mark.

She said: "I was really, really shocked. I was like ‘what did he do it for?’. She didn’t do anything wrong."

She added: "I was really scared in case he did that to me. I don’t want him doing that to other patients or babies because they will get really hurt."

Both girls were cross-examined via video link while Dr Dabis, who had glasses, a white moustache and receding hair, made notes for his lawyer on Post-it notes.

The girls’ mother told the court that the family went to the appointment for the younger sister and the doctor kept looking at the older girl and turning away again.

Then she said: "He looked right at her and that’s when he decided to hit her. I just saw his arm come up, his hand went near her face and struck her round the face.

She added: "I was very upset obviously but completely shocked. I don’t know why he decided to do it. I was stunned.

"I could see her shaking. Her dad was holding her. She looked quite tearful."

Dr Dabis, of Golf Side, Sutton, who has been excluded from working at Epsom and St Helier Hospital NHS Trust until the matter has been resolved, has pleaded not guilty and the case continues.