2013: MENTAL HEALTH WORKER WHO HAD SEX WITH PATIENT JAILED FOR TWO YEARS
A mental health support worker who engaged in sexual activity with a patient has been sentenced to two years in prison.During the sentencing hearing at Bolton Crown Court, Muhammad Faisal, aged 32 from Rochway, Whitefield, pleaded guilty to the charge under the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, which criminalizes sexual contact with individuals with mental health issues.
Prosecutor Carl Hargan explained that Faisal, employed as an agency support worker, met the patient—who had been detained under mental health laws—at the Royal Bolton Hospital.
The patient, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was admitted to a psychiatric ward last October.
The court heard that in December of the previous year, Faisal lent her his phone, allowing her to use the internet.
Shortly afterward, the woman, still hospitalized, invited Faisal to her home, where they engaged in sexual intercourse.
Subsequently, Faisal visited her on multiple occasions for sexual encounters, including at least one instance without condom use.
The prosecution noted that it would have been impossible for Faisal to have formed a sexual relationship without prior understanding or involvement.
Defense lawyer Graham Robinson stated that Faisal was experiencing marriage issues at the time.
He emphasized that Faisal was aware she was a psychiatric inpatient but had only worked on the ward for three days, during which he was assigned to another patient and unaware of her circumstances.
Robinson described Faisal as a man of previously good character, whose reputation and career had been destroyed by these events.
He insisted Faisal was a day-to-day worker who did not groom patients and that he acted rashly during a difficult period in his life.
The lawyer admitted that Faisal responded to an invitation from the woman, which was a serious breach of trust likely to have harmed her recovery.
The woman’s victim impact statement, read aloud by Judge Timothy Stead, revealed that her recovery had been delayed, taking nearly ten months instead of two or three.
She expressed anger at those responsible for her care, feeling used by Faisal for his own gratification.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Stead reminded Faisal of his duty to care for vulnerable patients and stated that his actions had been motivated by personal desire rather than the patient’s well-being.
The judge noted that Faisal must have known he was risking her health and recovery by engaging in intercourse, including once without protection.
Additionally, Faisal was ordered to be on a public register preventing him from working with vulnerable adults and children for the next decade.
