Ediongseyene Essien, 32, a Nigerian carer, is to be deported after robbing and burgling his own elderly and disabled patients – the day after being suspended from work. He was jailed for eight years at Liverpool Crown Court.
Essien had been working for Comfort Care until March 9 this year when he was suspended by his bosses following serious theft allegations. The very next day he carried out four burglaries against elderly and vulnerable people that he had previously cared for.
Crime Spree Details
In one raid he smashed down the back door of a terrified couple, in their 80s, and helped himself to their money. In another, he targeted a blind wheelchair-bound cerebral palsy sufferer, viciously kicking him out of the way as he forced entry.
His crime spree only ended when he snatched a woman's handbag as she returned home from a shopping trip, leaving her attempting in vain to fight him off with her walking stick.
Court Proceedings
Essien, of Walton, Merseyside, admitted two counts of robbery, four of burglary and fraud, and was jailed for eight years. Merseyside Police said: "Nigerian national Essien will serve 30% of this sentence before being deported. A Restraining Order has been put in place in relation to his six victims."
Judge Stuart Driver KC said: "You were a care worker. Your job was to visit elderly, very vulnerable people in their homes, so you were given the codes to open their key safes so that you could go through their front doors.
"You were suspended from your employment, and then you decided to use your knowledge of those people to trespass in their homes in order to steal from them.
"The vulnerability of your victims is demonstrated by the impact of the burglary at the home of the elderly couple. You could not get through their front door, so you terrified them by kicking at their back door until it smashed open.
"She screamed for help. Her husband is immobile, wheelchair bound, and you knew that. Her victim personal statement states that you betrayed their trust, and their lives are devastated."
Victim Impact
Citing the blind cerebral palsy victim the judge added: "He is confined to a wheelchair. You knew all of that. You chose his house.
"You pretended that you had been sent to care for him that day. He attempted to close that door. You forced it open and you kicked him out of the way. You then took what money you could find. It has left him very afraid."
"You were, up to this point, a postgraduate student. It seems likely that an alcohol problem was the root of your downfall. This will be your first custodial sentence."
The court heard Essien had previously been employed as a care worker with Comfort Care but was suspended and the next day, he targeted the home of a male wheelchair user – entering by accessing a key in a coded safe outside the property – and took his bank card as he slept.
Later, he gained access to another address and entered the bedroom of an elderly resident, although nothing is believed to have been stolen. The same evening, Essien carried out two more offences, firstly gaining entry to the home of a severely disabled occupant at around 7.30pm, with nothing believed to have been taken.
At around 9pm, he smashed the rear patio door of an elderly couple, an 88 year-old woman and her wheelchair-bound 85 year-old husband, who screamed as Essien entered their living room and stole a wallet. The wife later said the incident had "completely devastated their lives" and added: "We welcomed this man into our house and treated him with nothing but kindness and trust. To have this trust betrayed is heartbreaking."
On March 16th, Essien was arrested in connection with these offences and was conditionally bailed pending further enquiries. On Friday, May 15th, two robbery offences took place. At around 2.20pm, he visited the home of the cerebral palsy sufferer pushing into his address and taking cash from the living room. At 5pm the same day, Essien approached a vulnerable woman with a walking stick in the Fairfield area and forcibly grabbed her handbag, stealing cash and bank cards.
He was arrested on Sunday, May 17th, charged with both offences, and then remanded in custody.
Defence and Police Response
Louise McCloskey, defending, said: "What we are talking about is two days but there have been significant ramifications as a result of what he has done.
"He had sought assistance from others due to the loss of his employment, due to loss of his student status here and, out of desperation, he committed those deeply unpleasant offences.
"The defendant will automatically be subject to deportation, ordinarily, having served around 30 per cent of his sentence."
After the sentencing Detective Inspector Kevin O’Rourke, of Merseyside Police, said: "Essien committed a series of reprehensible burglary and robbery offences against people he had previously cared for, and other vulnerable victims.
"It is frankly beyond comprehension for someone with this job to go on and target those same people, and then push and grab other elderly and unwell victims in his desperation for money.
"Like all victims of burglary and robbery, they have suffered a great deal of distress from Essien’s crimes and I am grateful for their patience and help in bringing him to justice.
"Essien has today been given a significant prison sentence, which we hope brings a measure of comfort to those he harmed."
