Melbourne Magistrates’ Court: Camberwell’s Paul Stephen-Daly pleads guilty to indecent assault

A father of six who became a hypnotherapist to “help people” took advantage of two vulnerable women by indecently touching them while they were his clients.

The 82-year-old Camberwell hypnotherapist pleaded guilty to indecently or sexually touching two female victims.

A grandfather operating as a hypnotherapist took advantage of vulnerable young women by indecently or sexually touching them, a court was told.

Paul Stephen-Daly pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to indecently assaulting one woman and sexually touching another six years later while they were his clients.

The court heard the 82-year-old Camberwell man, originally from England, operated as a hypnotherapist for many years in Melbourne’s east before he “handed in his ticket” following the police investigation.

Court documents obtained by the Herald Sun revealed that Stephen-Daly indecently assaulted a woman in 2015 and sexually touched another woman in her 20s in 2021.

Police prosecutor Philip Brown told the court he breached the trust of his vulnerable victims when he inappropriately touched them without consent or without any thought to whether they consented to the acts.

The court heard that while he gave his clients a massage he went “beyond what was clinical” which included lifting clothing, placing hands under clothing and touching intimate areas.

Magistrate Belinda Franjic said the later offending was aggravated because police had already spoken to him about the earlier allegations.

His lawyer said the weight of the proceedings weighed heavily on him and contributed to his anxiety and depression and that he was otherwise of good character.

She told the court he had no priors who had got into the industry to help people.

The court heard he suffered a number of health issues primarily involving his heart.

Ms Franjic said the matter would be adjourned for further plea and sentencing on December 19.