A UK court has sentenced a Nigerian healthcare worker, Adewale Kudabo, to 12 months in prison after he admitted to kissing a vulnerable female patient without her consent while working at York Hospital.
Kudabo, 47, was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and jailed on Tuesday, June 10, following a hearing at a UK court. Judge Alex Menary, who handed down the sentence, said Kudabo had “abused the trust” placed in him as a medical professional.
According to The Press (Yorkpress.co.uk), the assaults occurred while Kudabo was employed as a healthcare worker under the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Prosecutor Henry Fernandez told the court that the first incident happened after Kudabo was assigned to bathe a patient in severe pain. After completing the task, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips.
Despite her discomfort and limited mobility, the patient attempted to move away but was unable to prevent the kiss. Fernandez said the victim was left “confused and uncomfortable” by the unsolicited contact.
Days later, Kudabo reportedly approached the same patient again, asked if she wanted another “bed bath,” and repeated the behavior by kissing her on the lips a second time — this time as she tried unsuccessfully to avoid him.
The victim later reported the incidents to the police. The court heard that the experiences caused her significant emotional distress, including anxiety and flashbacks.
Kudabo, who lived on Count De Burgh Terrace in South Bank, York, pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial in April. In court, he expressed remorse for his actions.
His defence counsel, Jerry Sodipe, said Kudabo had no previous convictions and believed he was offering comfort to the patient, though he now accepted his actions were “inappropriate and unacceptable.”
“He has held up his hands to say, yes, he is guilty, he shouldn’t have done that,” Sodipe said, adding that Kudabo had moved from Nigeria to the UK with his family for work and has since lost his job.
Judge Menary ruled that the seriousness of the offence warranted immediate imprisonment. Kudabo will serve half of his 12-month sentence before becoming eligible for release.
In a statement following the sentencing, the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said:
“We offer our sincere apologies to the patient affected. Patients should always feel safe and respected while in our care, and we deeply regret that this was not the case. We acted swiftly and decisively, and the individual involved left our employment soon afterwards.”
