Ruth Auta, a Nigerian nurse working in the United Kingdom, 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 left Joshua alone in her nurse’s accommodation for eight hours on December 20, 2022, while she fulfilled her shift duties.
Upon her return, she found her son lifeless in his cot and immediately called 999, reporting that he was not breathing.
Despite efforts to resuscitate him, the infant died an hour after the ambulance arrived. Tests suggested he may have overheated due to excessive layers of clothing and bedding.
Auta, who was employed at Royal Bolton Hospital, was charged with child cruelty. She pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024, although her sentencing was delayed by a month.
On June 6, while attempting to board a flight to Nigeria with a one-way ticket, she was apprehended at Gatwick Airport.
Initially, Auta told the police that she had collected Joshua from a childminder, fed him, and then fallen asleep with him on her bed, claiming she found him unresponsive when she woke up.
However, CCTV footage and incriminating text messages contradicted her story. The footage showed Auta leaving and returning to her accommodation without Joshua, while her messages revealed that she had instructed her childminder to falsely claim she was caring for Joshua that day.
The childminder later confirmed 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 illustrate her lack of remorse.”
