The Be'er Sheva District Court on Tuesday convicted Dr. Sergei Puntos of 25 counts of causing grievous bodily harm, intentionally spreading a disease, and possession and use of narcotics.

Puntos, who worked as an anesthesiologist at Be'er Sheva's Soroka Hospital, was accused of infecting 31 of his patients with hepatitis C by injecting them with sedatives using a syringe that he had used to inject himself with narcotics.

Puntos was acquitted of aggravated assault.

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"I rule that the prosecution adequately proved that the defendant committed all of the crimes of which he was accused, in addition to the 25 counts of causing grievous bodily harm," wrote the judge.

In addition, Puntos was convicted of stealing from an employee, fraud and negligence.

Following his first indictment, Puntos was released to full house arrest on condition that he refrains from contacting his former patients and other Soroka employees.

According to a later indictment, following his release, Dr. Puntos contacted a fellow Soroka doctor who was to be summoned as a key witness in the case and threatened him, telling him that "You will see what it means to testify against me. "