A healthcare assistant cleared of sexually assaulting a hospital patient has spoken of his year-long ordeal under police investigation.

Jayson Domingo endured sleepless nights and questioning from his Kingston Hospital colleagues, before being told he had been cleared.

A judge at Kingston Crown Court ordered the jury to return a not guilty verdict on Thursday, January 13, ending a year of torment.

Mr Domingo, 36, a father-of-two, said: “When the judge cleared me I asked my lawyer about the traumatic damage through the whole year of me waking up in the middle of the night and not sleeping.

“It is not really fair. It was a stressful year for us, not only for me but my wife as well.

“We are so pleased with the decision of the judge.”

Mr Domingo was arrested, handcuffed and led from Kingston Hospital early on January 27, 2010, after a female patient accused him of touching her leg.

Mr Domingo was later suspended by the hospital.

He had to wait another nine months for the trial to take place.

Mr Domingo, who came to work for the NHS from the Philippines, said: "She was saying that an assault happened.

"The night sister came and approached me about 2am. I said ‘It’s not true’. I was helpless. I was shocked.

"I couldn’t think of anything to say. I knew if I resisted it would just make things worse. I even asked if it was necessary. I was willing to co-operate."

The hospital lifted Mr Domingo’s suspension and he has been given some more time off to recover from the trial before returning to work.

Mr Domingo, who lives in Epsom with his wife Grace, a nurse at Kingston Hospital, and his children Joshua, eight, and Janine, six, said: “I’m a positive person so I think it will be all right.”

A spokesman for Kingston Hospital said: “The safety and welfare of our patients is very important to us and we take all complaints extremely seriously.

“Following a thorough internal investigation into a complaint made by a patient, Mr Domingo was suspended pending the court case on the January 14, 2011.”