Psychotherapist 'had power over his sex victims'

Prosecutor Charles Gabb, summing up the case against 60-year-old Christopher Allison, quoted a saying from the 1980s: "Power tends to corrupt - absolute power corrupts absolutely."

He added: "Mr Allison was entrusted with the care of these ladies, and he had power over them.

"He had an overbearing desire for sex and the two formed a destructive, corrosive combination that he was singularly incapable of resisting.

"The Crown say it has had its consequences in this case." Allison has pleaded not guilty to five allegations of rape, one of attempted rape and 12 of indecent assault, involving eight women - two of them patients in Basingstoke.

Mr Gabb told the jury that in order to find the defendant guilty on each count they have to answer two questions - did the incidents happen at all and, if so, was there consent on the part of the women?

Mr Gabb also said the jury could take into account the similar facts in each case when deciding if Allison is guilty or not.

Summing up the defence's case, Sonia Woodley QC, representing Allison, told the jury that her client was a respected and eminent psychotherapist who had broken one of the most important rules and had sexual intercourse with two of his patients, behaving not only improperly, but cheating on his wife.

But, she said, that did not make him guilty of a criminal offence.

He had declined to answer questions about his private life, she said, but that did not mean he had slept with scores of patients.

"It doesn't matter if he slept with half the women in Kent and half the women in Hampshire.

"If they were consenting partners he commits no criminal offence," said the barrister.

She added people made sexual allegations for a variety of reasons and the jury had to be very careful in considering the evidence of the women. She said there was no independent evidence in the case at all.

The case continues