Student nurse in court over attempted baby kidnap

A student nurse on trial for trying to kidnap a premature baby from hospital had a confrontation with the baby's parents after trying to get onto the ward, a court has been told.

Safia Ahmadei, aged 36 and from Upper Vauxhall in Wolverhampton, pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnap at the city's crown court.

The jury has been told she falsely claimed to have given birth to her own twins, one of whom died, then stopped family members from visiting them.

On Wednesday, it heard that Safia Ahmadei was ushered off New Cross Hospital's neonatal unit several times on the evening of 13 February.

The next day, she returned to the hospital and became involved in a dispute with the baby's parents.

Witness statements from nurses working on the night of 13 February claimed that Ms Ahmadei, who worked on a diabetic ward at the hospital, was spotted several times on the ward that evening wearing a student nurse's uniform.

They said she told nurses that the baby's mother had given her permission to drop off blankets for the baby who was "cold".

However, a nurse told the court that they were not actually blankets, but thin muslin cloths which would not keep a baby warm.

On one occasion, Ms Ahmadei, a first-year nursing student at the University of Wolverhampton, was seen wearing a dressing gown over her uniform, which several nurses thought was unusual.

On another, she was wearing a sweatshirt over the uniform, which one member of staff said was not allowed.

"While she was very polite, she was very persistent," one nurse told the court.

Despite being asked to leave several times, she returned the next day and asked to speak to the baby's mother.

The court heard that the baby's parents, who were aware of her trying to see their child the night before, heard her request to the staff over the intercom and confronted her about why she was there.

Witness statements from nurses working the next day, read out by prosecution lawyer Seamran Sidhu on Wednesday, said Ms Ahmadei was speaking in Urdu to the baby's parents.

However, the mother urged her to speak in English, with one of the nurses claiming she said: "Speak English so everyone can know why you're here."

After the confrontation, hospital staff called the police and Ms Ahmadei was arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnap.

A written statement from Ms Ahmadei's sister-in-law was also read to the court by the prosecution, who told the court that Ms Ahmadei was the second wife and neighbour of her husband's brother.

The witness said Ms Ahmadei's husband had experienced fertility issues with his first wife, who had undergone IVF in both the UK and Iraq.

Shortly after she became his second wife, the witness said Ms Ahmadei claimed she was pregnant with his baby, later telling people she was having twins.

Over the course of the pregnancy, Ms Ahmadei would not let anyone attend hospital appointments with her at New Cross Hospital, claiming this was so her ex-husband would not find out about the pregnancy.

In January 2024, she said she had given birth to twins, but would not let anyone visit them, and later claimed one of the twins had died. Shortly after this, she was arrested.

The trial continues.

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