Man jailed for causing unlawful termination of pregnancy

A man who caused the termination of a woman's pregnancy by forcing her to take abortion pills before locking her in a room, has been jailed for nine years in the Republic of Ireland.

Adeleke Adelani, who is currently serving a seven year sentence for a separate offence, had previously admitted unlawfully ending the life of a foetus on 14 February 2020 in Letterkenny, County Donegal.

At Letterkenny Circuit Court on Thursday, judge John Alymer said Adelani had carried out an act an extreme act of physical and emotional violence.

He sentenced Adelani to 11 years in prison, the final two years of which are suspended, for causing the unlawful termination of a pregnancy.

Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing

Adelani was also sentenced to five years, with the final 12 months suspended, for assault causing harm.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

Adelani had been due to stand trial in November 2025 but pleaded guilty before a jury was selected.

In a victim impact statement, which the woman had read to the court during proceedings, she said: "I have forgiven the defendant. The forgiveness does not mean what he did was acceptable. It means I refuse to let what he did continue to control my heart and my life."

She added: "When he wrongfully imprisoned me and caused the termination of my nine-week pregnancy, he 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."

The court was told the woman had become pregnant by Adelani in 2019 but they both decided to terminate the pregnancy.

She became pregnant again in 2020 and had decided to keep the baby, the court was told.

Adelani had invited the woman to his home in Donegal on Valentine's Day 2020, the court heard, under the belief that he too wanted to keep the baby.

The court heard that after they spoke face-to-face, he forced her to take tablets normally prescribed by medical professionals in a controlled environment.

The court was told Adelani told her that he would beat her nine-week-old foetus out of her if she did not take the abortion tablets.

After forcing her to swallow the tablets, Adelani left to buy a pregnancy test, the court heard.

The woman, who Adelani had met on Snapchat, then phoned gardaí (Irish police) and officers arrived at the house at 14:20 on 14 February 2020.

Adelani was arrested at the scene and his phone was seized. It remained locked for four years, as he would not provide the pin.

Officers accessed the phone before he was due to stand trial last year, the court heard.

A conversation between Adelani and the woman, recorded on his phone, when he told her she had to have an abortion was played to the courtroom.

The court was told Adelani forced the woman to take five misoprostol 200mg tablets, told her how to swallow them and then locked her in a bedroom.

The woman became unwell after she was forced to take the tablets. She came down with a fever, she was shivering and she also had cramps, the court was told.

She was in great pain and was passing clots of blood.

During police interviews, Adelani, did not make any admissions, was non-compliant and did not look at the woman as a girlfriend, the court heard.

In a letter to his victim, read in court, Adelani said he now takes full responsibility for his actions and was "heavily apologising" for the pain he caused.

Judge Aylmer said the offence of unlawfully ending the pregnancy of the victim was "extremely premediated" and had involved a "great deal of internet research".

"You were fully aware of her expressed desire to keep her baby and completely aware of the potential appalling emotional consequences of terminating the pregnancy without her consent.

Following sentencing Det Insp Paul McGee praised the "unwavering strength and resolve" of the victim.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for support.