Key Takeaways
- A UK court sentenced a 28-year-old NHS nurse, Ruth Auta, to three years in prison for negligence leading to the death of her 10-week-old baby, Joshua Akerele.
- Auta left Joshua unattended for eight hours in her accommodation while she worked at Royal Bolton Hospital.
- Upon returning, she found him unresponsive and called emergency services, but he was pronounced dead.
- Investigations revealed CCTV footage of her leaving and returning without her child and incriminating text messages urging the childminder to lie.
- Auta initially claimed she picked Joshua up from a childminder, fed him, and found him unresponsive the next morning.
- She attempted to flee the UK for Nigeria after the charge but was detained at Gatwick Airport.
A Nigerian nurse, Ruth Auta, has been sentenced to three years in prison for neglecting her 10-week-old baby, resulting in her death, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
The incident occurred on December 20, 2022, when Auta, a single mother, abandoned her infant for eight hours to complete her shift at Royal Bolton Hospital.
Upon her return, Auta observed her son in a state of unconsciousness in his cot and initiated emergency services. Despite her efforts, Joshua was pronounced dead, with tests indicating that he may have overheated due to being wrapped in multiple layers of clothing and bedding.
Initially, Auta claimed that she had brought Joshua to a childminder after her shift, fed him, and found him unconscious the next morning.
However, police investigations revealed CCTV footage of her departure and subsequent return to her residence without her child. Further investigation uncovered incriminating correspondence in which she requested the childminder to falsely report caring for Joshua.
Auta admitted culpability for child abuse and attempted to evade the UK for Nigeria after the accusation was made, but was detained at Gatwick Airport. She was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Bolton Crown Court.
📷: Greater Manchester Police
