A woman told a jury she performed a sex act on a former York psychiatrist because she was concerned he might otherwise withdraw her medication.

The woman was giving evidence on the sixth day of a special "hearing of fact" at Leeds Crown Court, at which the jury is being asked to determine whether Dr William Kerr carried out four rapes and 15 indecent assaults on former patients between the 1960s and 1980s. A previous jury had decided that Dr Kerr, now aged 75, of Alne near Easingwold, is unfit to plead. He has, however, denied all the allegations at a police interview.

The woman said that she had been in a consulting room at Harrogate District Hospital when Dr Kerr had touched her leg, inside and outside her clothing and then touched her private parts.

He then asked her to perform a sex act on him.

Under cross-examination she said she had not believed that it was part of her treatment and she had thought it was wrong. "I told him I wasn't interested," she said.

Asked why she had done it she said: "It was Dr Kerr who was prescribing my medication at that time." She said she had not been threatened with any withdrawal of medication but this was what she had felt.

She said: "I felt really humiliated."

She said such incidents had happened on and off over a period of years. She confirmed that she had sent letters of thanks at Christmas time to Dr Kerr and also his wife, Dr Bromham, another psychiatrist. She had not felt able to mention what had happened with Dr Kerr to her husband or her doctor.

Asked why she had given Dr Kerr a Christmas present after what he had asked her to do, she said: "I'm afraid that's the way I am... Dr Kerr was certainly helping me. He was the only person I could talk to. He was certainly helping me get back on an even keel."

She told the jury she had been referred on to Dr Kerr by his wife, Dr Bromham.

She said she had lied at one stage to Dr Kerr and to her GP to get extra medication. "I certainly have not lied about what Dr Kerr did to me." She said she had never suffered from hallucinations.

The hearing continues.

* The jury in the case has reduced to 11 people - seven men and four women - after a women jury member was discharged yesterday because of health problems.