Ruth Auta
By Shade Damiro
Ruth Auta, a Nigerian nurse based in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for causing the death of her ten-week-old baby.
The nurse was sentenced by Bolton Crown Court in the UK.
Mail Online reports that the Nigerian woman left the deceased baby Joshua Akerele in her nurse’s accommodation for eight hours so she could work her shift on December 20, 2022.
The nurse was said to be a single mother, aged 28. When she returned to her room, she found Joshua lifeless in his cot and dialled 999, telling operators her son was not breathing.
Akerele was later confirmed dead an hour later with tests showing he may have ‘overheated’ due to the layers of clothing and bedding he was wrapped in.
Initially, Auta informed the police that she had picked up Joshua from the childminder after her work shift, brought him home, fed him dinner, laid him on her bed, and then drifted off to sleep beside him.
Auta alleged that upon waking, she discovered Joshua unresponsive.
However, during subsequent police questioning, she declined to comment.
Released on bail pending further inquiry, Auta’s account was later contradicted by CCTV footage showing her entering and exiting her residence without Joshua on the day of the incident.
There were also incriminating text messages in which she instructed the childminder to falsely claim Joshua’s presence.
Auta, a nurse at Royal Bolton Hospital, was charged with child cruelty after the childminder revealed she hadn’t seen the infant for days, contradicting Auta’s initial claim.
Auta pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024. Her sentencing was adjourned for a month.
In a desperate bid to escape justice, Auta attempted to flee the country on June 6, purchasing a one-way ticket to her native Nigeria.
However, she was detained at Gatwick Airport before boarding her flight.
On Tuesday, Auta appeared at Bolton Crown Court, where she received a 3-year prison sentence for her crimes.
Sara Davie, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “Whilst she went to work to provide care for other people, Ruth Auta left the very person who needed her care the most home alone.
“As a nurse she should have known the dangers of leaving her baby unattended. As she begins her sentence, she must now live with the consequences of the terrible decision she made that day.
“Auta has failed to show remorse throughout the case. She misled police about her childcare arrangements and then tried to evade justice by attempting to flee the country.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with all those who been affected by Joshua’s death.”
