A health care worker who groomed and sexually abused a vulnerable patient at a secure mental health unit in Warrington has received a suspended prison sentence.
Nureni Osimade kissed his victim’s neck and told her ‘I love you’ and ‘you are my baby’ while working at the Arbury Court unit in Winwick.
The 52-year-old groomed the patient, who was detained under the Mental Health Act, gradually progressed to touching.
Robert Wyn Jones, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that in autumn of 2023, the woman told staff that there had been some inappropriate behaviour from Osimade towards her.
She was interviewed by police and said that initially the defendant had been ‘flirting with her’ and would call her ‘beautiful’, ‘special’ and ‘cute’.
She said she was ‘flattered’ by the attention and got a ‘buzz’ out of it but things became physical. It began with an arm around her shoulder but progressed. She said she realised things had gone too far which was why she knew she had to tell staff.
She told how she had been in the TV lounge when he approached her from behind behind, put his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him while whispering ‘I love you’ in her ear. He would not let her go until she was able to ‘wriggle free’.
The next day, in an incident captured on CCTV, she was walking down the corridor when Osimade put his arm out to block her way. He then put his arm around her and started kissing her on the neck saying ‘you’re my baby’.
Osimade, of Ribot Walk, Salford, denied the allegations when challenged by colleagues and the police but later pleaded guilty to two offences of engaging in sexual activity as a care worker with a mentally disordered female.
In a victim impact statement the victim told how her mental health ‘deteriorated significantly’ after the incidents.
She said she became upset and tearful and later became angry and paranoid towards all the staff at the unit who were trying to help her. She said is now wary towards male healthcare workers.
Chris Hudson, defending, told the court that Osimade came Lagos in Nigeria which has a different culture and he did not “really understood” the concept of grooming.
He said that the defendant, who was married with three children, was a ‘devoted church man’ and a ‘doer of good’. He had only been in the job for a few weeks and was remorseful and put his behaviour down to ‘poor judgement’.
“He is an intrinsically decent man and this will never, ever be repeated, it is a valuable lesson for him.”
Judge Denis Watson, KC, said that patients with a mental disorder should be to able to trust those caring for them. “
He told Osimade, “Over a period of time, I am satisfied there was grooming. There was a series of compliments which developed to hugging then putting your arm around her waist and kissing her.
“This took place at the place of care where she should be entitled to be safe.”
Sentencing him to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months the judge said he was satisfied there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and others would be adversely affected by his imprisonment.
Judge Watson also ordered him to carry out 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work. Osimade has to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.
