‘Heinous’ man, 40, jailed for 12 years after spiking pregnant woman with ‘abortion drugs’ and refusing to take her to hospital

A Norfolk man has been jailed for 12 years after secretly administering abortion drugs to a pregnant woman, causing her to lose her unborn baby.

Stuart Worby, 40, from Dereham, was found guilty at Norwich Crown Court of administering a poison with intent to procure a miscarriage, along with assault by penetration.

The court heard how Worby carried out the “deliberate, well-planned and callous” act in 2022, when the victim was 15 weeks pregnant.

The woman, who has lifelong anonymity as a victim of sexual assault, made it “quite clear” that she wanted to keep the baby, prosecutor Edmund Vickers KC told the court.

Worby crushed abortion medication into the victim’s orange juice without her knowledge, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

He then administered additional abortion drugs through sexual deception while the victim was blindfolded.

The court heard how Worby had enlisted the help of his friend’s partner, Nueza Cepeda, to obtain the abortion medication.

Worby paid £470 to arrange an appointment at a London gynaecology centre for Cepeda in summer 2022.

At the appointment, Cepeda obtained a prescription for two types of abortion drugs and painkillers.

The defendant was also found guilty of cannabis possession during his arrest, which he admitted to at Friday’s hearing.

In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement read to the court by the prosecutor, the woman expressed her deep anguish over the loss.

“This pain will never leave me knowing that this baby could have been my only chance to be a mother in this lifetime,” she told the court.

The victim also said she felt she had “failed to protect my baby” and revealed her ongoing struggle to conceive.

“I haven’t been able to conceive and have another baby,” she said, describing how she had “gone from fertility clinic to fertility clinic”.

The court heard how being a mother was her dream, making the impact of Worby’s actions particularly devastating.

Cepeda, 39, also from Dereham, pleaded guilty to supplying an instrument to procure a miscarriage.

She received a 22-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 40 hours of unpaid work.

The judge acknowledged that Cepeda only became involved “due to the pressure or badgering of Stuart Worby.”

Her defence lawyer, Andrew Oliver, told the court she had acted out of “misguided loyalty to someone who was friends with her partner.”

The mother-of-three had no previous convictions and received no financial benefit from her involvement.

Cepeda was “devastated she’s played a part in the harm and suffering that’s been caused,” her lawyer said.

Mr Justice Joel Bennathan told Worby during sentencing: “You are a selfish man and set about aborting the baby without (the woman) knowing.”

The judge noted that Worby’s “only mitigation is your previous good character.”

A restraining order was imposed, preventing Worby from contacting the victim indefinitely.

The court also ordered Worby to pay £10,000 in compensation to the victim.

When the sentence was announced, Worby asked if he “could say anything”.

The judge denied his request, to which Worby responded “thanks for your time” before being led to the cells.

Simon Spence KC, mitigating for Worby, acknowledged it was “ultimately a selfish act.”