'Sex is cure for phobia' therapist is cleared

A hypnotherapist who told a woman he could cure her agoraphobia by having sex with her was yesterday cleared of indecent assault because the condition prevented her from attending the court.

A hypnotherapist who told a woman he could cure her agoraphobia by having sex with her was yesterday cleared of indecent assault because the condition prevented her from attending the court.

Swansea Crown Court was told that Huw Wendall Thomas, 62, who advertised his "touch therapy" services in Yellowpages, told the 38-year-old woman that sex would cure her condition.

Trefor Davies, for the prosecution, said: "The whole approach was aimed at having sex with her and not for therapeutic reasons."

Mr Thomas disputes that he told the woman to take her clothes off but he accepted in a police interview that that was what she did. He claimed to be quoting from Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, when he said: "You cannot turn the lady down." When asked by Judge John Diehl if Freud supported "touch therapy", Mr Thomas replied, "No".

Judge Diehl refused to award Mr Thomas £1,000 in costs, telling him he had brought suspicion on himself. The defendant was cleared because the prosecution's principal witness could not attend for health reasons.