A 41-year-old Gloucester support worker who groomed and sexually assaulted a vulnerable 24-year-old mental health patient under his care has received an immediate custodial sentence of four and a half years at Gloucester Crown Court.
Simon Gibbs, residing at Swangrove Gardens in Tuffley, Gloucester, appeared in the dock for sentence on Thursday 3 February 2022 having previously pleaded guilty on 6 January to two charges of sexually touching and engaging in sexual activity with a woman with a mental disorder while employed as a care worker.
Prosecutor Giles Nelson outlined to the court that Gibbs worked as a support worker at a specialist mental health clinic in Podsmead, Gloucester, where the 24-year-old victim had been admitted in November 2019. The woman had been detained under the Mental Health Act the previous year and had been diagnosed as emotionally unstable with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) needs.
Despite having been explicitly instructed upon commencing his employment that relationships with patients were strictly forbidden and that patients must never be abused or neglected, Gibbs immediately initiated inappropriate conduct towards the young woman upon her arrival.
Staff members noted that Gibbs became physically over-familiar with the patient, who began ignoring treatment instructions and becoming distracted. The court heard Gibbs spent an hour and a half inside her room with the blinds drawn and frequently escorted her to the clinic’s sensory room at 2am. During these early-morning encounters between 15 April and 16 May 2020, Gibbs kissed the vulnerable woman, caressed her, and subjected her to sexual intercourse on one occasion, alongside sexually touching her on at least two further occasions.
Following the assault, Gibbs returned to the patient’s room 15 minutes later and insisted they exchange mobile phone numbers. Over the subsequent six weeks, Gibbs exchanged dozens of text messages daily with the victim, telling her that she was the only person who could understand him. When Gibbs feared staff were on the verge of discovering his misconduct, he ordered the woman to delete all messages from her phone before being discovered in a “crisis moment” with the victim inside the sensory room, prompting a report to police.
In a victim personal statement read to the court, the survivor explained that Gibbs’ offending had a profound impact on her life and identity, leaving her feeling deeply betrayed by someone entrusted with her care.
Concluding the prosecution opening, Mr Nelson stated:
“A woman in her position should have felt safe where she was being treated. She was there for a reason. Gibbs sexually assaulted her when she should have been safe.”
Under the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, the female victim in this case is protected by mandatory, lifelong statutory anonymity. Any publication, broadcast, or public dissemination of information capable of leading to her identification is strictly prohibited under UK law.
Passing sentence at Gloucester Crown Court, Judge Recorder Andrew Langdon QC condemned Gibbs’ calculated manipulation of a vulnerable patient:
“Your victim, aged 24, was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and other issues. You knew perfectly well, because you had been told when you began your employment, that having relationships with patients is strictly forbidden. However, you developed an inappropriate relationship with the woman. This was a clear case of grooming. On a number of occasions you organised matters including taking her to the sensory room so you could be alone together. This was often done during the early hours of the morning. You repeatedly made sexual advances towards her, including have sexual intercourse. This was nothing like a momentary lapse of your responsibility, it was continual. For a period of six weeks you averaged some 70 texts between you every day, which included sending images of each other. This was inappropriate because you had not only manipulated her, but other members of staff. This was all done for your own sexual gratification. You continued to abuse your position of trust and when you believed that your relationship was about to be discovered you asked her to delete any incriminating evidence from you from her phone. You did this in the belief she would not make a complaint. When you were caught you accepted that you had sex with your victim but stated you were ashamed. However you continued to minimise your actions. The impact of your behaviour on your victim has been devastating. She has lost trust in the professionals looking after her. It has affected her relationship with her own family members.”
Recorder Langdon sentenced Gibbs to four years and six months’ immediate imprisonment. In addition, the judge imposed a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), ordered Gibbs to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life, and permanently barred him from working in the caring profession.
Image – Anonymous Artist Impression
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