A Nigerian nurse, Ruth Auta, based in the United Kingdom, has been sentenced to three years in prison for child negligence following the death of her 10-week-old son, Joshua Akerele.
The 28-year-old single mother reportedly left her infant unattended in her nurse’s accommodation for eight hours while she worked a shift at the Royal Bolton Hospital.
According to a Daily Mail report, the tragic incident occurred on December 20, 2022.
Upon returning home, Auta discovered Joshua unresponsive in his cot and immediately called emergency services.
Despite resuscitation efforts, the baby was pronounced dead an hour after paramedics arrived.
Tests revealed that Joshua may have overheated due to being excessively clothed and covered with heavy bedding.
Auta was charged with cruelty to a child and pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024.
During the investigation, CCTV footage and text messages contradicted her initial claim that she had picked up Joshua from a childminder and found him unresponsive after falling asleep with him.
The footage showed her leaving and returning to her accommodation without her child, and messages revealed she had instructed the childminder to falsely claim she had cared for Joshua that day.
In June 2024, Auta attempted to flee the country but was apprehended at Gatwick Airport with a one-way ticket to Nigeria.
District Crown Prosecutor Sara Davie, in delivering the verdict, said, “As a nurse, Ruth Auta should have been aware of the dangers of leaving her child unattended.
“Her failure to provide the necessary care and her attempts to evade justice demonstrate her lack of remorse.”
Auta will serve three years in prison for her role in the tragic death of her son.
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