A nurse who sexually assaulted a woman admitted to A&E after her drink was spiked has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
Ernest Cruz, 38, targeted the “barely conscious” woman in a private room at Bournemouth Hospital, entering 12 times over the course of two hours.
The woman, who is in her 30s and cannot be identified for legal reasons, said she felt powerless as she struggled to walk unaided and drifted in and out of consciousness.
Cruz was working as a triage nurse when the victim was brought to the hospital after a night out.
The married father of three had moved to the UK from the Philippines on an NHS work visa. He was not involved in the woman’s care and had no reason to be in her room because he was not working on the same ward.
CCTV showed Cruz repeatedly entering the room while recording observations on the patient’s chart using another colleague’s name.
He waited until he was alone with the woman before removing her clothing and carrying out what prosecutors described as an “absolutely abhorrent” sexual assault, apparently believing she would be too incapacitated to remember it.
The woman said Cruz appeared to have read her admission notes and believed he could attack her without her being aware.
In fact, she knew what was happening and deliberately memorised details about Cruz that could later help identify him.
Ernest Cruz, 38, abused the “barely conscious” victim in a private room at Bournemouth Hospital, entering 12 times over two hours
Cruz was working as a triage nurse when the woman was brought to Bournemouth Hospital (pictured, file image) after a night out
She said: “He wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near that ward, but he went over there and recorded observations under a colleague’s name.
“I was really out of it. I kept drifting in and out of consciousness, but I knew something wasn’t right.
“I remember him saying, ‘You’re wet, you need to take your jumper off.’
“Being spiked felt like being extremely drunk, but much worse. I was constantly fading in and out.
“I think he kept returning to check whether I was awake. I remember him leaning over me and touching me.
“I think my body was going into shock. I couldn’t do anything.
“Whenever I came round, I told myself I had to remember what was happening. I focused on details such as his ring and tattoo.”
The assault happened on July 29, 2023, but the woman said she had waited three years for the case to reach justice.
Cruz denied assault by penetration and sexual assault. Following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, he was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison.
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The court heard that the Filipino nurse arrived in the UK on an NHS work visa in 2021 and had been regarded as a man of “good character” before the offences.
He is expected to face deportation after completing his sentence.
The victim, who was later diagnosed with PTSD, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult and emotional time, but I want to speak out about the changes needed to prevent it happening to anyone else.
“Hospitals need stronger safeguarding measures for vulnerable patients, especially when they are left alone during intimate care, while changing or during examinations. Chaperone rules also need to be strengthened.
“The hospital called me once to apologise, but it has not done anything to reassure me that this could not happen again.
“I recently had to return to hospital. On a women’s ward, a male member of staff entered alone, pulled the curtain around another woman and I heard her say, ‘I haven’t got a bra on.’ I still don’t feel reassured.
“People don’t always understand how mentally exhausting the process is: waiting years for a trial, reliving what happened, giving evidence and then trying to move forward. It has a huge impact.”
The woman said the trauma was so severe that she did not leave her home for a week after the trial.
She added: “I don’t sleep properly at night. I keep the lights on and repeatedly check the doors.
“At sentencing, I couldn’t believe he was still denying it while his family sat there supporting him.
“I’ve created a website and support community for victims, where people who have experienced similar things can speak to one another anonymously using nicknames.
“I didn’t feel I had anyone to talk to who truly understood. I saw a counsellor, but because she hadn’t been through something similar, I felt she didn’t understand.
“I think supporting other people will help me recover.”
She said the project was designed to guide other sexual assault victims through the legal process and offer them support.
Recorder William Bebb KC, sentencing Cruz, said: “It is likely that her drink had been spiked. She was effectively defenceless and extremely vulnerable. I have no doubt you knew the condition she was in when she was admitted and took advantage of it.
“You made sure you were alone with her, without other NHS staff present, believing that she would be unconscious of what you were doing.
“When someone is admitted to hospital, they should be able to trust that they will be cared for safely. That is the relationship of trust between a patient and a medical professional. You breached that trust.”
Cruz was sentenced to seven years and made subject to a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order.
Bournemouth Hospital said Cruz, a band 5 nurse, was suspended after his arrest, later dismissed and referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The hospital said it had since strengthened its chaperone policy and reviewed patient feedback from Cruz’s time there, adding that no other concerns had been reported.