A Nigerian living in the UK, Emmanuel Onwubiko has been jailed for two years for sexual assault by a Liverpool Crown Court.
The convict also was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years, while the court imposed a 10-year restraining to protect the victim of the sexual assault.
Onwubiko who migrated to the UK on student visa was found guilty of sexually harassing an 18-year-old teenager (identity not disclosed) in Warrington, who had to resort to “spiritual cleansing” as a result of the psychological trauma she suffered after being severally assaulted by Onwubiko.
According to reports, the assaults took place last year when Onwubiko, then 35, of Derwent Road, Ashton, targeted the 18-year-old victim
Narrating her ordeal, the victim told the court that “My mental health has significantly declined due to what happened to me.”
“Some days I feel as though I can’t get out of bed due to feeling anxious. My mind is always thinking about what happened to me, and it is as though I have constant flashbacks about what happened to me. I now feel a shell of my former self.”
“I researched online and found a church that does baptisms on short notice.”
“I felt so desperate to try and cleanse my body and feel as clean as possible. I was reaching out to God to try and get some help, and I thought bathing in holy water would wash away the horrible feelings I was having.”
Defence counsel Robert Wynn-Jones noted that Onwubiko, a Nigerian national, had come to the UK on a student visa, which has since expired
The convict is reportedly seeking a post-graduate visa to remain in the country and repay a loan, as his wife and three children face threats if the debt is unpaid.
Judge Gary Woodhall while addressing Onwubiko’s conduct, stated, “From the very beginning of that day, you behaved inappropriately towards her. You demonstrated sexual attraction towards her. She was scared.”
The court also heard of a related incident involving the victim’s father, who assaulted Onwubiko after learning of his daughter’s ordeal.
The father of the teenager was said to have punched Onwubiko several times, causing a nosebleed, two chipped teeth, and a subdural haemorrhage that required emergency surgery.
The father received an 18-month suspended sentence and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.