And another male patient yesterday told a trial at Inverness Sheriff Court that he was "stunned" when his genitals were touched during a treatment session.

The men were giving evidence during the trial of osteopath Keith Grieve, who is facing charges of indecently assaulting 10 male patients over an 11-year period between 1996 and 2007 at practices in Inverness and Thurso by removing their underwear without permission and touching them inappropriately.

Grieve (57), of Riverside Gardens, Inverness, denies the allegations and his trial is set to continue into next week.

The 31-year-old site agent, a keen sportsman who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he visited Grieve's practice at the Highland Osteopathic Centre several times in 2005 for treatment to relieve pain in his lower back.

He said he felt Grieve's hands on his underwear and the osteopath told him he was going to remove his pants. During the treatment he said he heard a crack and Grieve told him that was his back in alignment.

The massage followed using an oil or lubricant and the witness said Grieve massaged him on his shoulders, back, arms legs and feet then he began massaging his buttocks.

The witness claimed Grieve also massaged him in the groin area and moved his genitalia. He said it was only the back of Grieve's hands which made contact with his genitalia for about 30 seconds on each side.

Later he went to another female practitioner in the town, Judith Rumbles, and his treatment there did not involve the removal of his underwear or massage to his buttocks or groin area.

Eventually the witness gave a statement to the police after being approached by another man who had complained about his treatment by Grieve.

Defence QC Mark Stewart said the witness's record showed he had eight treatments between January and December 2005 and he complained of pain in his buttocks and legs. The witness agreed with Mr Stewart that it never crossed his mind he was being sexually assaulted.

Yesterday, another man told the court he decided never to go back to Grieve after a session on October 21, 2006.

The witness said he was being treated for lower back pain and in the last four sessions his pants were lowered and Grieve began massaging his inner thighs and there was a brush against his genitals.

"I was quite stunned really," he said. "I didn't know what to make of it all, that was going through my head. I wasn't going to come back. It did cross my mind to get up and walk out but I didn't." The witness added he had visited osteopaths and physios before and he just knew what had happened wasn't appropriate.

An earlier witness, a 59-year-old businessman, said he had gone to see Grieve in May 2005 at his Ardross Street practice in Inverness but, on his third visit, he claimed Grieve began massaging his thighs before removing his boxer shorts. He claimed Grieve touched him in an inappropriate place and he felt it was a sexual thing.

The businessman said Grieve spoke about his work with Caledonian Thistle Football club and with the Highland Football Academy at Dingwall and he was concerned that the same thing may have happened to young footballers.

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