Adewale Kudabo, a 47-year-old Nigerian healthcare assistant at York Hospital, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison in the United Kingdom for sexually assaulting a female patient under his care.
Kudabo was convicted on two counts of sexual assault after pleading guilty before the York Crown Court on Tuesday. The assaults occurred while the victim—nearly immobile due to a severe medical condition—was bedridden and completely reliant on others for support.
According to Prosecutor Henry Fernandez, the first assault happened after Kudabo gave the woman a bed bath and leaned in to kiss her on the lips. Although she attempted to turn away, her condition left her unable to resist. A few days later, despite her refusal of further personal care, Kudabo returned and kissed her again as she lay helpless.
The court heard that the incidents occurred just nine months after Kudabo arrived in the UK from Nigeria. He was living in the South Bank area of York at the time and working as a healthcare assistant at the hospital.
During police questioning, Kudabo claimed he had kissed the woman on the forehead as a gesture of sympathy, not on the lips. He said the act was “in keeping with his duties” as a caregiver.
However, in a victim impact statement read in court, the woman described the long-lasting trauma she has experienced since the assaults, including fear, helplessness, anxiety, and loss of trust in caregivers. She also reported ongoing flashbacks and depression.
Defence lawyer Jerry Sodipe acknowledged that Kudabo’s actions were inappropriate but noted that he had no prior criminal record.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Alex Menary said, “You abused the trust placed in you as a carer. She was particularly vulnerable—immobile and entirely dependent on you. I am satisfied the kiss was on the lips, and your actions have deeply affected the victim’s wellbeing.”
Judge Menary emphasized that an immediate custodial sentence was necessary to reflect the gravity of the offence. Kudabo will serve half of his 12-month sentence behind bars and the rest under supervision. He has also been added to the UK sex offenders register for 10 years.
