A MALE nurse sexually assaulted three women while they were recovering from anaesthetic in a hospital ward, a court heard.

Stephen Board, 65, is accused of grabbing patients’ breasts and putting his hands up their gowns.

Hove Crown Court heard Mr Board took advantage of the women while they were at their most vulnerable.

The court heard a woman then aged 78, a woman then aged 34 and a woman who was 20 were assaulted by Board at St Richards Hospital in Chichester and Worthing Hospital on three dates over a ten-year period.

The three women, who cannot be named, were assaulted in the recovery rooms at the hospitals, the court heard.

The first two women were coming round from general anaesthetic following surgery.

The third woman, who was aged 78, had a local anaesthetic for cataract surgery.

She is deaf and was told to remove her hearing aids during the procedure.

Hugh Forgan, prosecuting, told the jury: “Stephen Board is a man who has taken advantage of the position of his employment to sexually assault women who were clearly vulnerable.

“While working as a nurse, Mr Board, on three occasions sexually assaulted three of his patients.

“Two had just had surgery and were in the recovery room in the care of this defendant.

“The third had just had eye surgery. She was given the hand of the defendant to squeeze if she needed to communicate. She was unable to move and we say the defendant sexually assaulted her under her gown.”

The first two women complained about the nurse who looked after them in the recovery room. Police only returned to their allegations after the third woman, who had been under a local anaesthetic came forward last year.

Mr Forgan said the first woman, then aged 20, complained to police about Board in 2006.

He said: “The first complainant suffered from severe pain to her left hand side.

“At Worthing Hospital, in the recovery area, she was introduced to Board.

“He said ‘don’t worry I’ll look after you’.

“Six days later she went to police. She remembered being in a recovery area and became aware of a male hand going inside her gown and Board asking her if it was OK if he did this.

“Because of her post operative state she was unable to speak or move.”

The second woman, then aged 34, was assaulted in January 2008, Mr Forgan said.

He added: “She came round and was aware of somebody rubbing her right breast.

“She was able to grab her gown and say she did not like it. That nurse was Stephen Board.”

The third woman, then 78, was being treated for cataracts. He said: “She was under a local anaesthetic and was told to squeeze Board’s hand if she was in distress.

“It was noted at the time she moved around a lot during the operation. She told her daughter the nurse had let go of her hand and put it under her gown and squeezed her breast.”

Stephen Board, of Linden Road, Bognor, denies seven sexual assaults by touching and one of penetration at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester and at Worthing Hospital.

The trial continues.