NHS nurse jailed for appalling sexually attack on woman, 85, in her own home
An NHS nurse who sexually assaulted a vulnerable elderly woman in her home has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Vile Steven Hicks "used his position" to attack the 85-year-old lady while on an unscheduled visit to her home in Berkshire in January 2022. The 60-year-old had told the victim he was coming to check on her mobility at the time after she had suffered from a fall, despite her having cancelled appointments the day before.
Arriving at the woman's door in a surgical mask, apron and thick-rimmed glasses, he told her he was from the Royal Berkshire orthopaedic unit and, whilst in her bedroom, began pressing his face against her intimate area, Reading crown court heard. She then asked him, "What on earth are you doing?" and pushed him away, asking to see his ID which he did not provide and left her home.
When the woman called relatives to inform them what had happened, prompting them to tell the police. Body-cam footage from officers who turned up at the woman's home showed her telling them Hicks had apologised, telling her he'd gotten "carried away".
Hicks was found guilty of an appalling sexual attack on an 85-year-old woman (Vagner Vidal/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)
Hicks was jailed for four-and-a-half years for the disgusting attack (PA)She also told officers there had been no discussion of "anything intimate" happening. Hicks was identified in September of that year using DNA taken from the victim's leggings and he was arrested by Thames Valley Police shortly after.
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Hicks, from Woodley, Berkshire, was charged with sexual assault and found guilty by a jury last week, before being sentenced to four-and-a-half years, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed.
Specialist investigator on the case Philippa Sharman told the court that phone data placed him in the vicinity of the pensioner’s home at the time of the offence. Meanwhile, the victim's detailed account and doorbell camera footage confirmed she had had a visitor on the evening in question.
It was also found that Hicks had used his position to access the woman's medical records while she was receiving home visits, often when he was on annual leave and unauthorised to do so, as well as on the day of the assault. CPS lawyer Shilpa Shah said: “This was a shocking crime carried out by someone in a trusted profession.
“Steven Hicks knew the victim was vulnerable and that no other carers were due to visit her that evening, and he used his position to gain access to her home to assault her, in her own bedroom. Hicks denied the charges against him, but we were able to present evidence to the court clearly linking him to the assault.
“His DNA matched that found on the victim and her clothing, and his phone data placed him near her home at the time of the offence. He will now spend time in prison for his crime.” Speaking from Reading Police Station, Ms Sharman told the PA news agency that officers were “keeping an open mind” as to whether there are more victims of Hicks.
She said: “If any more information comes to light, then that will be for us to look into. This is a serving member of the NHS, they’re a very trusted profession, they have a certain amount of power when they get into people’s homes, into care homes, and people deserve to be safe in their homes.”
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