A HOSPITAL worker accused of sexual activity with a young person with a mental disorder while in his care appeared at Reading Crown Court today (March 12).

Eric Kusi, of Norwood Road, Reading, sat in the dock as the jury heard evidence from a former teenage patient who had also claimed that Mr Kusi had behaved inappropriately towards her.

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Tragically, Alisha Watts, who gave the interview in 2017, died in February 2018.

The court was shown an interview between her and a police officer after she made claims against the 29-year-old.

Mr Kusi worked as a support carer at a Berkshire hospital where Alisha had been a patient.

Judge Paul Dugdale told the jury: "You are going to hear Alisha’s interview that she made with police in 2017.

"I know that she is unable to be in court and you know the reason why.

"This evidence is different to other evidence - you haven’t had the opportunity to see her cross examined."

In the video shown to the jury, Alisha claimed that Mr Kusi initially spoke to her like 'a normal support worker'.

"He started talking to me all the time," she said.

"He offered to pay for a phone for me.

"He said he was going to give me his number. I'm not comfortable with people paying for things for me.

"I thought that it meant that he cared."

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Alesha said that he immediately began to call and text her, asking her to save his number under a false name and telling her to put a password on the phone so people wouldn't see.

She also said he came into her room and put his arms around her, rushing away when he heard footsteps.

In the video, Alisha added: "We went to the park and he said that God had kept me alive after my overdose so I could meet him.

"We used to sit in the dining room quite a lot and just talk about whatever we were thinking.

"Most of it was to do with mental health but it would be from the angle that ‘I am the only one who could help you.’

"When he wanted me to get the phone it was so that I didn't need to speak to anyone else.

"He was making me feel better but that is because I felt like someone cared."

She also said that Mr Kusi had spoken about a future with Alisha, talking about what their children would be called.

"He used to say that the other patients were just children and I was an adult because I was 17," she added.

"He said I could live with him after being at hospital and said if we live together he would be holding and touching me to make all the bad stuff go away."

The charges that Mr Kusi is facing do not relate to the teenager mentioned above, but relate to another young girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Mr Kusi faces six charges of sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder, all of which he denies.

The trial continues on Tuesday, April 14th.