Irish court jails Nigerian man Adeleke Adelani for coercing former partner into pregnancy termination and causing her severe physical and emotional trauma

Adeleke Adelani, a 28-year-old Nigerian man living in Ireland, has been handed a nine-year prison sentence after a court found him guilty of forcing his ex-girlfriend to take abortion pills and confining her in a house in Letterkenny, County Donegal.

The incident, which occurred on Valentine’s Day 2020, has shocked the local community and highlighted the serious consequences of coercion in intimate relationships.

The Crime and Court Details

According to reports from the Irish Times and RTE News, Adelani had previously been a student at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology and met the victim through Snapchat.

In January 2020, the woman, now 26, discovered she was pregnant for the second time with Adelani.

Unlike the first pregnancy in 2019, which she had agreed to terminate, she decided to keep this child after seeking advice from a friend in London.

Adelani reportedly became enraged when he learned the woman had missed a medical appointment and canceled a planned holiday.

He lured her to a house in Ashlawn under the pretense of supporting her decision, then forced her to take five misoprostol 200mg tablets he had obtained from Dublin.

Court evidence included audio recordings in which Adelani threatened the woman, saying, “It’s either you eat this or I beat that kid out of you tonight. I’m dead serious … I’m forcing you. I don’t care.”

The Victim’s Ordeal

The woman suffered severe physical effects after being forced to swallow the tablets.

She experienced fever, chills, cramping, and passed large blood clots, prompting her to seek help once Adelani left briefly to get a pregnancy test.

Police arrived at the scene before 2:20 pm on February 14, 2020, and she was subsequently treated at a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit.

In her victim impact statement, she described the emotional trauma she endured, saying that Adelani “took far more than my freedom. He took my child.

He took my sense of safety. He took a future that I had already begun to plan and love.”

She also spoke about the compounded pain caused by the crime happening on Valentine’s Day and the lasting effects of Adelani’s denial of responsibility.

Despite the trauma, she expressed forgiveness, clarifying that it did not make his actions acceptable but allowed her to regain control over her life.

Adelani’s Background and Apology

During sentencing, defence counsel James McGowan SC highlighted Adelani’s troubled youth, including chaotic early teenage years, expulsions from school, and struggles with mental health and substance misuse.

Adelani issued an apology in a letter to the court, stating he “heavily apologised” and acknowledged taking responsibility for an act that “can never be replaced. It was also my child, and a hole was also pierced in my heart.”

Sentencing and Legal Consequences

Judge John Aylmer described Adelani’s actions as “extremely premeditated” and aggravated by the fact that he was on bail for a previous offence.

While Adelani had no convictions at the time of this crime, he later accumulated several other convictions and was already serving sentences for separate offences.

Adelani was sentenced to 11 years for causing the unlawful termination of a pregnancy, with two years suspended, and five years for assault causing harm, with 12 months suspended.

These sentences will run concurrently to each other and consecutively to his current prison terms.

Upon release, he will enter a €100 bond and is required to maintain good behaviour for two years.

What’s Next?

Adelani will continue serving his consecutive sentences in Irish prisons.

The case has sparked discussions about the legal protections for women against coercion and the enforcement of existing laws on intimate partner violence.

Authorities and local organizations may increase awareness campaigns to prevent similar incidents and encourage victims to seek help early.

Summary

Adeleke Adelani, a 28-year-old Nigerian man in Ireland, was sentenced to nine years for forcing his ex-girlfriend to take abortion pills and confining her in Letterkenny.

The crime occurred on Valentine’s Day 2020 after the woman chose to continue her pregnancy.

Court evidence included audio recordings of threats, and the victim suffered both physically and emotionally.

Adelani, with a troubled past and prior convictions, expressed remorse, while the judge emphasized the premeditated nature of the offence.

The case underscores the serious consequences of coercion and has prompted discussions on protecting victims of intimate partner abuse.