A hypnotist’s assistant has denied sexually assaulting an audience member as he tried to put her into a trance following a show at a Calderdale pub last summer.
The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, asked Steven Vallo to repeat the feat performed on her partner during the stage show, but claimed he put his hand up her dress and kissed her twice on the lips during an incident in the pub’s beer garden.
Today (Tuesday) the 67-year-old hynotherapist, of Alder Grove, Illingworth, described himself as “a healer not a feeler” and dismissed suggestions that he had taken advantage of the woman for his own sexual pleasure.
Bradford Crown Court heard that the complainant’s partner had been hypnotised during the professional hypnotist’s performance that night and one of the feats had involved him being told that he would have “the best sexual experience of his life” if his shoulders were squeezed or his hand shaken.
Married Vallo, who claimed to help people quit smoking and lose weight through hynotherapy, said the woman later insisted that he perform the same feat on her after the show.
Vallo said his initial attempt to hypnotise the complainant was disturbed when another customer suddenly shouted out “wake up” as he tried to put her under.
He said as they sat on a bench in the beer garden he used a different technique which involved the woman choosing “the man of her dreams” and doing anything she wanted with him.
Vallo said the woman chose “Fifty Shades of Grey” character Christian Grey and started to make noises consistent with love-making.
He said the woman was rubbing her thighs with her hands, but denied that he had put his hand between her legs.
Although Vallo told the court he had been doing hynotherapy for 25 years he accepted that he had no formal qualifications and was not a member of any official organisation.
The woman, who said she was not actually hypnotised by Vallo that night, told the jury that she “froze” during the alleged incident and that was why she had not cried out or walked away.
Vallo, who has denied three allegations of sexual assault, admitted that he had kissed the woman once, but said that was simply to say goodnight and thank you before he went to see two other people who wanted help with quitting smoking.
Vallo also accepted that the complainant had not in fact been hypnotised by him.
“Did you think she might be in a state where you could take advantage of her?” suggested prosecutor Nicholas Askins.
“I didn’t think that at all, at no time,” replied Vallo.
The trial continues.