A vendor who allegedly attempted to rape an estate agent attending a viewing appointment has been struck off from his own profession.
Senior paramedic Dean Mahony was struck off by the Health and Care Professions Council, which said he showed no remorse.
Mahony, formerly a Bristol paramedic, was selling his home in 2014.
The agent was at the house ahead of a viewing by prospective buyers who were running late.
As they waited, Mahony made inappropriate comments, attempted to kiss her and touched her *******.
She escaped to the toilet upstairs, but Mahony followed and waited for her to come out.
When she did, he grabbed her and took her to the bedroom, where he pushed her on to the bed, tried to force her to have oral sex and attempted to rape her.
The disciplinary hearing was told that he was only stopped by the doorbell ringing when the couple viewing the property arrived.
Mahony’s bosses in the South West Ambulance Service learned of the incident some time later, when the woman called an ambulance for a sick colleague and told the operator not to send Mahony because he was being investigated “for a rape” against her.
The hearing, by the Conduct and Competence Committee of the Health and Care Professions, heard that a police investigation into the alleged sexual assault claims, which Mahony denied, was no longer on-going.
Mahony faced other sexual allegations involving women colleagues.
Mahony had tried without success to get the proceedings to be held in private.
The panel found 12 allegations against him proven, and said: “Mahony’s behaviour was serious misconduct.
“It indicated a pattern of inappropriate behaviour towards female colleagues which covered inappropriate comments of a personal nature, inappropriate physical contact, aggressive behaviour and spreading untrue rumours of a sexual nature.
“The panel has very serious concerns about Mahony’s judgement and understanding not only of how to conduct himself with female colleagues in the workplace, but also outside of work.”
The case once again raises serious concerns about the safety of lone agents at viewings.
Many agents in our industry might now be too young to remember Suzy Lampugh and in particular the work that the charity set up in her memory do to raise awareness of the risks of lone working:
http://www.suzylamplugh.org
Please take another look as it gives good advice, as well as a useful guide on lone working and measures people can take to mitigate the risks.
We recirculate the guide to our staff at least annually and also to new starters to remind them to think about these types of risks.
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