THE mother of a doctor from North Yorkshire accused of indecently assaulting a 12-year-old-boy says he is "totally innocent".

A court heard that Dr Neal Chilvers is unlikely to ever stand trial after suffering brain damage in a suicide attempt.

Chilvers, 34, a paediatrician at the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, was accused of assaulting the boy there and also faced four counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

But Judge Christopher Pitchers at Nottingham Crown Court ordered the charges should be left on the file after hearing that Chilvers, from Selby, took an insulin overdose last December.

In February the case was adjourned after his defence produced a report saying he had suffered brain damage.

The court was told a report for the prosecution from a Leeds University psychiatrist took the same view.

Nirmal Shant, prosecuting, said: "Dr Chilvers's attempted suicide has resulted in his suffering significant brain damage. He has made some progress, but not significant enough for him to be able to resume his career in medicine.

"He has a number of difficulties which will persist for the foreseeable future."

The court was told Chilvers may be able to do manual jobs after intensive therapy, but there was no question of his practising medicine again.

Judge Pitchers said it was "highly improbable" that Chilvers would ever be fit to stand trial.

But he said given the seriousness of the allegations it was right that they should remain on file.

Chilvers, a bachelor, who did not attend the hearing, is living at the family home in Beechcroft, Brayton, near Selby, where his mother, May, told the Evening Press he was totally innocent.

Mrs Chilvers, a retired teacher, said: "He has strenuously denied the charges from the word go, and had he been fit to plead he would have continued to deny them.

"This has been hanging over our heads for 18 months and it's been sheer hell. Neal was a brilliant doctor, who was on his way to a consultancy."

His solicitor, Sara Mason, said the Crown Prosecution Service had effectively decided to drop the case.He never formally submitted a plea, but, she added: "Our instructions were that he was going to deny all the charges and we were going to fight them strenuously on his behalf."

Chilvers' late father, Eric, who died two years' ago, was a former secretary and president of Selby Rotary Club and former chairman of Brayton Parish Council.

He was assistant editor of the Selby Times before becoming senior committee clerk at Selby District Council.

PICTURE: Dr Neal Chilvers