Healthcare Worker’s Jail Term Raised to 12 Years for Patient Sex Assaults

A healthcare support worker who carried out fake examinations to sexually assault two hospital patients faces a 12-year prison sentence after an appeal court deemed the original nine-year term too lenient.

The Offenses at Grange University Hospital

In August 2021, at Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran, the worker assaulted the women while they lay in pain. One victim had recently undergone surgery. During some attacks, he failed to wear gloves, exploiting his position of trust.

A jury convicted him last year on six counts of sexual assault and three counts of assault by penetration.

Impact on Victims

The assaults caused profound harm. One victim attempted suicide three times, while the other received a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Appeal Court Ruling

During the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, Nadeem Holland, representing the Solicitor General, argued that the trial judge overlooked key aggravating factors and the severe breach of trust. Marian Lewis, defending, maintained that the original judge was best positioned to sentence and described the crimes as opportunistic rather than premeditated.

Lord Justice Singh ruled the initial sentence unduly lenient, stating: “The overall sentence did have to reflect the gravity of the offending as a whole.”

The court imposed a new 12-year term, comprising consecutive seven-year sentences for assaults on the first victim and five years for the second. The offender appeared via video link from HMP Parc in Bridgend but offered no statement.