Friday 16 November 2018

Mental Health Specialist Abused Ex Online

A university psychotherapist bombarded her doctor ex with insulting messages after they split-up, breaking a court order banning her from contacting him.

Maria Lindholm-Ventola, 45, a lecturer and course director at London South Bank University lost custody of the child she had with psychiatrist Dr. Emad Farrag.

This prompted her to repeatedly message Dr. Farrag, who has taken their child abroad, via email and WhatsApp, referring to him as a: “Pompous f***.”

Lindholm-Ventola, of Shooters Hill, Plumstead, who is also a registered Mental Health Nurse, pleaded guilty today to breaching a non-molestation order made by East London Family Court between September 18 and December 17, 2017.

A charge of sending indecent and offensive messages to Dr. Farrag, who trained at Guys & St. Thomas’s Hospital, causing distress or anxiety, between December 18, 2017 and July 9, last year was withdrawn by the prosecution.

Prosecutor Ms Jennifer Gatland told Bromley Magistrates Court: “The complainant Dr. Farrag is the ex-partner of the defendant, who took out a non-molestation order.

“It has a number of conditions, one of which is not to threaten the victim or go within one hundred metres of him and not abuse him.

“Doctor Farrag says he started receiving numerous abusive messages via email and WhatsApp in September, 2017.”

The insults included: “Taking the p***,” “P*** off,” “F*** off,” “Lay off the dope,” and referred to Dr. Farrag and his new girlfriend as: “A pair of f***s.”

Lindholm-Ventola says in over twenty years of psychotherapy she helps patients: “To let go of any past experiences that may hinder your progress and to explore ways in which you can begin to work towards the future you always wanted.”

She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and her areas of expertise include obsessions, anger management, stress, relationships and family therapy. 

Despite clearly breaking the Family Court order she continued berating Dr. Farrag and the new woman in his life, telling him: “You’re so full of s***,” “How sick can couple be?” and: “You pompous pair off f***s.”

Ms Gatland added: ‘She is clearly in breach of the non-molestation order and the barrage has caused a lot of distress to the complainant.

“The defendant is angry about not having access to her son, as Dr. Farrag has full custody and the messages were over a long, long period of time and there were many of them.”

She was questioned by police when the messages took a more sinister turn with one reading: ‘People die all the time.”

It is Finnish-born Lindholm-Ventola’s first conviction and she may now face disciplinary proceedings from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council.

She was bailed for a pre-sentence report to appear at Bexley Magistrates Court on November 21.

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