Court jails Nigerian healthcare worker for sexually assaulting patient 9 months  

A Nigerian healthcare assistant, Adewale Kudabo, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison in the United Kingdom for sexually assaulting a vulnerable female patient under his care at York Hospital.

The 47-year-old was convicted on two counts of sexual assault after pleading guilty before the York Crown Court on Tuesday. The court heard that the victim, who was almost completely immobile due to a severe medical condition, was assaulted twice while confined to her hospital bed.

According to Prosecutor Henry Fernandez, the first incident occurred after Kudabo gave the patient a bed bath and kissed her on the lips. Despite trying to turn away, the woman was unable to resist due to her condition.

A few days later, Kudabo returned and, despite the woman declining another bath, kissed her again while she lay helpless. “She was in a lot of pain and almost completely dependent on others for her care,” Fernandez said.

The offences occurred nine months after Kudabo arrived in the UK from Nigeria. At the time, he was employed at York Hospital and living in the South Bank area of the city.

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During police questioning, Kudabo claimed he kissed the woman on the forehead as a sign of sympathy, insisting it was in line with his caregiving duties. However, the victim’s impact statement described the deep emotional toll of the assaults, including fear, helplessness, depression, anxiety, and recurring flashbacks.

Kudabo’s lawyer, Jerry Sodipe, acknowledged the inappropriateness of his client’s actions but pointed to his previously clean record. In his ruling, Judge Alex Menary said, “You abused the trust placed in you as a carer. She was particularly vulnerable, immobile and dependent on you for her care.

I am satisfied the kiss was on the lips, not the forehead.” The judge stressed that an immediate prison sentence was necessary to reflect the seriousness of the offence and its impact on the victim. Kudabo will serve half of his sentence behind bars and the rest on licence. He has also been placed on the UK sex offenders register for 10 years.