A judge hit out at ‘an utterly scandalous delay’ of six years in the case of a Cornish care worker who had a sexual relationship with a vulnerable female client.

Judge Robert Linford said the offences dated back to 2011-2012 and the victim gave a detailed interview in December 2016 to the police.

He told Truro Crown Court that between 2017 and 2021 there was ‘an utterly scandalous delay in both the investigation and prosecution of this case’.

But he said the explanation given to him did not excuse the six-year delay and said the victim had suffered the impact of ‘waiting years and years for this moment’.

The defendant, Angus Fruin, 42, of Marhamchurch, North Cornwall, admitted two charges of being a mental health team manager and care co-ordinator who was involved in the care of a woman who had a mental disorder and intentionally touched her sexually. The court heard Fruin had full sex with the woman, who was the same age as him, on numerous occasions at her home in Cornwall.

The victim said they had been in a relationship between 2011 and 2016 and said Fruin dominated her life and she was ‘ruled by fear’. She added she has nightmares and ‘freaks out’ if a man gets too close to her.

The prosecution admitted the ‘delays were unacceptable’ in bringing the case.

Defence barrister Piers Norsworthy said: ”We all understand some delays are to be expected.”

He said the COVID pandemic has resulted in long delays but said five and a half years is ‘extraordinary’ and was not ‘delayed by the defendant’s behaviour’.

“It could have been charged very early on,” he said.

And he said the huge delay had had a significant impact on Fruin who is sole carer for his dementia stricken mother who was placed in a residential care home last month as Fruin admitted the charges and feared he would be jailed.

Mr Norsworthy said the criminality was Fruin taking advantage of a vulnerable woman in his care, and had it not been a professional relationship, no crime would have taken place.

“He is exceedingly sorry,” said Mr Norsworthy adding it was ‘a terrible lapse in judgment’ which was down to naivety and not much experience with women.

Judge Linford said Fruin ‘cut an isolated and lonely figure living alone with your mother’.

He said Fruin had no previous convictions and repeated the ‘delay of six years is utterly unconscionable’ and it would be wrong to impose an immediate jail term after that length of time.

He jailed him for two years, suspended for two years, and ordered him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, and he was placed on the Sex Offenders’ register for ten years.

The court heard Fruin aimed to get his 86 year old mother back to her home of 20 years so he could care for her again.