Clifton therapist pleads guilty to sexual relationship with patient

An NHS therapist had a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman he had been treating.
News from the courts. ANL-180730-164550001News from the courts. ANL-180730-164550001
News from the courts. ANL-180730-164550001

Jason Bland, 45, had sex with the woman when he stayed at her home in Stevenage.

The married mental health nurse from Clifton, told her he loved her and was going to leave his wife, Luton crown court heard today (Friday).

The young mother, who has been diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder, told Judge Lynn Tayton QC: “He was someone I trusted my deepest thoughts and memories to.

“He made me feel special and I believed him. He built my world up and caused it to come crashing down.”

Addressing Bland, who had been employed by the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, she said: “You were completely unprofessional. I thought your marriage was over, that was a lie.”

She said he had put her through hell, that she had been self-harming, considering suicide and was now not sure if she could committ to a relationship in the future.

Prosecutor Isabel Asherson said the woman had attended group therapy and one to one sessions run by Bland in the summer of 2016. At the end of the year he told her he was moving jobs but would retain contact with some of his original patients, including the victim.

“They met for coffee and he expressed a personal interest in her. It became intimate and there was sexual activity between December 2016 and January 2017.

“He was seeing her two or three times a week. He stayed overnight six or seven times and they had full sexual relations.

“He continued therapy sessions with her and told her she should not mention their relationship to others in the group because they would hate her.

“He said he would leave his wife and paid a deposit for a flat in Stevenage,” said the prosecutor.

She went on: “In the end the victim found it difficult to cope with having a relationship with her therapist. He told her he wanted to stay with his wife and she (the victim) felt betrayed.

“She felt he was not leaving his wife and felt entirely used.

Jason Bland, of Linkway in Clifton, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder by a care worker.

Defending Janine Sheff asked for a pre sentence report to be prepared.

Judge Tayton agreed and bailed Bland for sentence on Monday 8 October.