Sex attacker jailed for hospital rape

A convicted sex attacker who raped a disabled woman in hospital while working as a healthcare assistant was jailed for public protection today, with a minimum term of six years.

Naraindrakoomar Sahodree raped the wheelchair-bound multiple sclerosis sufferer during a night shift at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in central London on October 31 2008.

Sahodree, 59, was able to get a job there despite being convicted of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old girl within three days of her starting work at a Liverpool nursing home he owned and ran in 1997, Blackfriars Crown Court in London was told.

He also attacked another patient at the London hospital in January 2007, trying to kiss her on the lips and touching her inner thigh.

Sentencing Sahodree, Judge David Martineau said: "I'm satisfied that you pose a significant risk of serious psychological harm to women.

"You were charged with the duty to look after and protect and care for the interests of these two extremely vulnerable women.

"Instead, you wholly disregarded their interests and welfare in order to satisfy your sexual desires."

The judge ruled that Sahodree should be made subject of a sexual offences prevention order which bans him from taking up jobs in the caring profession in future.

He said he was "satisfied" that Sahodree wanted to work at the central London hospital "in order to target vulnerable women who were physically unable to resist any sexual assault".

Sahodree, of Tottenham, north London, was found guilty last month of rape and three counts of sexual assault against two women.

Earlier, he admitted lying about his previous convictions in order to get jobs at the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust and the Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust between 2003 and 2008.

Sahodree pleaded guilty to four counts of obtaining a pecuniary advantage - his salary - by deception.

Sahodree was a "very sick man who preys on sick women", one victim said.

He managed to get the job as a healthcare assistant despite already being struck off the nurses' register, the court was told.

Sahodree was jailed for 21 months after being convicted of 13 counts of obtaining property by deception in April 1996 and, while on bail, went on to sexually attack the teenage girl at the nursing home he owned and ran.

He was jailed for a further two months for five counts of indecent assault in January 1997.

During his latest trial, the wheelchair-bound MS sufferer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the jury Sahodree made sure she could not summon help by moving her warning buzzer before the attack.

"He put the control button above my height so I couldn't reach it," she said.

The court was told the woman kept a diary during her time in hospital but a page in which she wrote about the rape was torn out and has never been found.

Another patient who was sexually assaulted by Sahodree described him as "pervy".

She said Sahodree tried to kiss her on the lips while she was a patient in January 2007 and, on one occasion, touched the upper part of her inner left thigh in what she considered an inappropriate way.

The woman, who also cannot be named, said she found Sahodree "quite pervy" and his behaviour made her "scared".

The young woman, who suffers from a condition which can cause painful spasms in her legs, buzzed for help on the evening of January 4.

She said the man came into her curtained-off bedroom area and stretched her leg to ease the discomfort but then touched her inner thigh, over the fabric of her pyjama bottoms.

"I know he did feel me up my thigh and I didn't like it," she said during a videotaped police interview which was shown to the court.

"I did move away and try to get him off me and said, 'I don't want this to happen'."

Sahodree made her "very worried" because he got "too close", she said.

"He used to try to kiss me. I do remember trying to pull away because I didn't like it at all."

The woman, who watched her taped interview from behind a screen which shielded her from the defendant's view, said Sahodree also gave her whisky on one occasion.

"He said it was like a treat and to calm me and get me relaxed," she told police.

"I remember telling him that I didn't want it."

Edmund Vickers, mitigating, said Sahodree accepted the trial had caused "human suffering" to his victims but maintained the offences did not take place.

"He is a human being and can see there was human suffering and regrets it," said Mr Vickers.

He urged Judge Martineau not to impose a sentence for public protection, saying Sahodree was "approaching old age" and unlikely to reoffend.

But the judge ruled a sentence for public protection was necessary and told Sahodree it would be at least six years before an application for parole could be made.

Sahodree's wife, who attended today's hearing, and his son are standing by him, the court heard.