Adewale Kudabo, a former healthcare assistant at York Hospital, has been sentenced to one year in prison for sexually assaulting a patient in his care.
The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on the first day of his trial in April. On June 10, Alex Menary, the judge presiding over the case at a UK court, told Kudabo he had “abused the trust” placed in him as a medical professional, and jailed him for 12 months. Kudabo will be eligible for release after serving half of the sentence.
The offences took place while Kudabo was employed by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He was assigned to bathe a female patient who was in significant pain at the time. According to prosecutor Henry Fernnandez, following the bath, Kudabo kissed the patient on the lips without her consent. Despite her discomfort and limited mobility due to pain, she attempted to recoil but could not avoid the kiss.
“The patient was left in a state of confusion and felt uncomfortable,” Fernnandez told the court.
A few days later, Kudabo reportedly asked the same patient whether she wanted another “bed bath” and again attempted to kiss her, leaving her distressed and anxious. The court heard that the victim has since experienced anxiety and flashbacks related to the incidents.
In a statement, the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offered a “sincere apology” to the victim and confirmed that Kudabo left his role shortly after the offences came to light.
In mitigation, Kudabo’s lawyer, Jerry Sodipe, said his client had shown genuine remorse and had no previous convictions. “He has held up his hands and said yes, he is guilty – he shouldn’t have done that,” Sodipe said. He added that Kudabo had moved to the United Kingdom from Nigeria with his family to work and has now lost his job as a result of the conviction.
Judge Menary acknowledged the gravity of the breach of trust, telling Kudabo: “The victim placed her trust in you. You abused that trust.”
The case has prompted renewed concerns around patient safeguarding within NHS institutions and the mechanisms in place to protect vulnerable individuals receiving care.
