A dental nurse has told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that she was mortified when her employer lifted up her vest exposing her breasts during a dental examination.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed dentist John Tait did this after he had asked her to take off her bra so that he could examine her.
John Tait of Glen House, Upper Rochestown, in Cork has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the woman at his surgery at St Patrick's Terrace, in Douglas in Cork on 20 December 2006.
The woman, who began working for Mr Tait two days earlier, told the jury of eight men and four women that she agreed to removed her bra because she trusted him.
She left the room to do this and returned wearing her nurse's tunic, with a thermal vest underneath.
After examining her mouth, he asked if he could pull down the zip on her tunic so that he could examine her neck and spine. She said this caused her tunic to fall down to her waist.
She then claimed Mr Tait lifted her vest up under her neck exposing her breasts and chest.
The woman said she turned away because she was "mortified". After a few seconds, Mr Tait said "okay".
The court was told an official complaint was made to gardaí in October 2009.
The case, which is being heard before Judge Raymond Fullam, is expected to last for at least two days.
