By Court reporter - Isle of Wight Press - [ENGLAND] - [Chiemedo Ikpo]
An NHS doctor who sexually assaulted a cleaner in a cupboard at St Mary's Hospital on the Isle of Wight has avoided jail.
Married 'predator' Chiemedo Ikpo left his victim an 'absolute mess' after he pursued his 'amorous intentions' towards her against her will, and squeezed her bottom for six seconds, a court heard.
And the woman hit out at the health service for allowing the 50 year old father-of-four to continue working at the hospital as he awaited trial, claiming he had been given more support over the incident than she had.
The incident was originally reported as having taken place on a date between December 31, 2019 and March 1, 2020.
Ikpo was handed community service after being found guilty of sexual assault following the incident, having denied the matter in court appearances over the years.
Portsmouth Crown Court heard the doctor was initially suspended but was then allowed to work under supervision - including in gynaecology - while waiting for his trial.
He was dismissed by the hospital after his conviction in June this year, more than four years after the incident.
In a statement, read to the court by prosecutor Andrew Houston, the victim - who can't be named for legal reasons - said that the incident described the doctor as a 'predator' who 'took advantage' of her.
"I can’t stop looking over my shoulder at work to make sure there’s no one behind me," she said.
She criticised the hospital's handling of the incident, saying that she felt she was seen as 'just a cleaner' and was 'shocked to find out he had been allowed to continue working at the hospital'.
She said: "There’s been no support from the hospital. There’s been more support for Mr Ikpo than there has been for me.
"I have been an absolute mess at work, crying all the time," she added.
The victim said that she feels safe at work now that he's left.
"It took me a while to feel safe in [the] cleaning cupboard," she added.
Hannah Hurley, defending, urged the judge not to send Ikpo to prison saying the incident was 'out of character' and noting that his wife had come with him to court.
Ms Hurley said that it was not a case of an abuse of trust and that Ikpo denied there was 'any sexual element' to the incident.
"This has impacted his mental health," she added.
His Honour Judge William Ashworth said Ikpo's role as a doctor was 'a position in which a lot of respect and trust is placed' and that any sexual assault is a 'gross violation'.
He said there was an 'imbalance of power' where "the victim is left feeling she is 'just a cleaner' because of the wholly irresponsible way in which you decided to pursue your own amorous intentions with her.
"No one is just a cleaner. We are all humans. We are all equal."
Ikpo, who is now based in Orpington, Greater London, was handed given a community order of 24 months, including 100 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
He will also be required to pay £2,500 in costs. He will be registered as a sex offender.
The County Press has asked St Mary's Hospital for a response to the victim's statement.
Ikpo, who trained at university in Nigeria, has now been suspended from the Medical Register and may not practise as a doctor in the UK, according to the General Medical Council.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article and were abused in state run medical and health facilities, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm.