A WOMAN told a jury today that she fell unconscious after being given carbon dioxide treatment by a York psychiatrist - and then came round to find him lying spread-eagled on her.

The woman, now in her 40s, said she was given the carbon dioxide treatment on more than a dozen occasions at Bootham Park Hospital by Dr Michael Haslam in 1988.

Giving evidence at Leeds Crown Court, she said she had suffered from depression and anorexia after a difficult childbirth. She said Dr Haslam had initially been "kind and caring", but this was spoiled when he told her she was suffering from psycho-sexual problems.

She said: "Of all the problems I did have, that was definitely not one of them."

She said she was given ECT treatment and she began harming herself by cutting herself with a razor blade. She did not intend to kill herself.

Haslam told her he would like to carry out carbon dioxide treatment.

"He told me that it was a borderline treatment that was being pioneered by the Russians and could help ease tension," she said.

Before the sessions began Haslam asked her to take off all her clothes except her pants and put on a gown, with him watching her while she undressed.

During each session she would lose consciousness quickly. Haslam told her each time: "I will be holding your hand when you go out and will be holding your hand when you come round," she said.

He gradually became more physical and then on the last occasion the woman said: "I came out of unconsciousness to find him lying completely spread-eagled on top of me. He was fully clothed. His face was right up close to mine. "It was flushed and sweaty. I struggled to get out from underneath him and did get out and stood up."

Asked if she said anything, she said: "My manner would have said it all, but I was still barely conscious and very shocked".

She said she never went back for the treatment again.

The woman said that on another occasion she went to Haslam's private consulting rooms where he produced sex aids from a cupboard and said it would be "great fun".

"There were a lot of sex toys and vibrators and some other things," she said.

"I got up and left. Straight out. I never went back."

She said that although shocked she thought at that stage that this might be part of a treatment for people with psycho-sexual problems.

Haslam, 69, of Crayke, near Easington, who is now retired, denies indecently assaulting the woman, and has also pleaded not guilty to raping her. He also denies two indecent assaults against a second woman and one indecent assault against a third.

The trial continues

Updated: 13:17 Wednesday, November 19, 2003