By A Nigerian nurse working in the United Kingdom, Ruth Auta, has been sentenced to three years in prison for neglecting her ten-week-old baby, Joshua Akerele, who died while she was at work, according to the Daily Mail.
The 28-year-old single mother reportedly left Joshua alone in her nursing accommodation for eight hours on December 20, 2022, to complete her shift. Upon returning, she found her son lifeless in his cot and immediately called 999, reporting that he was not breathing.
Despite resuscitation efforts, the infant died an hour after the ambulance arrived. Tests suggested that he might have overheated due to being wrapped in excessive clothing and bedding. Auta, who worked at Royal Bolton Hospital, was charged with cruelty to a child.
She pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024, with her sentencing delayed by a month.
On June 6, while attempting to board a one-way flight to Nigeria, Auta was arrested at Gatwick Airport. She had initially told the police that she had picked Joshua up from a childminder, fed him, and then fell asleep with him on her bed. She claimed she found him unresponsive upon waking.
However, CCTV footage and incriminating text messages contradicted her account. The footage showed Auta leaving and returning to her accommodation without Joshua, and the messages revealed that she had instructed the childminder to falsely claim she was caring for Joshua that day.
The childminder later confirmed that she had not seen the baby for several days.
In delivering the judgment, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, Sara Davie, stated, “Ruth Auta failed to provide the care her baby needed and chose to leave him alone. As a nurse, she should have been aware of the dangers of leaving her child unattended. Her attempts to evade justice further demonstrate her lack of remorse.”
