Former nurse charged with sexual offences against patient at Homerton Hospital

A former nurse accused of unlawful sexual activity with a vulnerable patient at Homerton Hospital in Hackney has been extradited from Barbados to face charges in the UK. Jason Forde, 56, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday after arriving at Heathrow Airport the previous day.

Forde is charged with seven counts relating to alleged offences committed while the woman was receiving treatment for a mental disorder. The charges span three separate pieces of legislation: the Sexual Offences Act 1956, the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and the Mental Health Act 1959.

Details of the charges

Court documents, as reported by the *Evening Standard*, outline the specific allegations against Forde. The charges include one count of having sexual intercourse with a woman described as mentally defective, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 1956.

Under the Mental Health Act 1959, Forde faces one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a patient. The remaining five counts fall under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. These include four counts of sexual activity involving penetration and one count of sexual activity without penetration, all relating to a mentally disordered female.

Two of the 2003 Act charges specify that Forde was a care worker at the time of the alleged offences. The court heard that Forde, who has no fixed abode, confirmed his name and date of birth during the hearing but was not asked to enter a plea.

Next steps in the case

Forde was remanded in custody following the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. His case will next be heard at Wood Green Crown Court on 25 August. The court did not set a date for a trial or further pre-trial hearings.

Homerton Hospital, part of Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, is located in the London Borough of Hackney. The trust has not commented on the case, as reported by the *Evening Standard*.