Dereham man guilty of giving pregnant woman abortion drugs

Stuart Worby, 40, crushed up pills into a drink and sexually assaulted the woman in order to insert the drugs without her consent.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered a miscarriage 15-weeks into her pregnancy in the summer of 2022.

A trial at Norwich Crown Court had heard he had researched abortion medications after becoming determined to end the pregnancy. 

READ MORE: Jurors told woman sexually assaulted before forced abortion

He sourced the drugs after persuading another woman to obtain them illegally by pretending they were for her at a doctor’s appointment. 

An example of the blue packet containing Mifepristone which was never recovered (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Worby, of Malthouse Court, Dereham, had admitted unlawfully acquiring mifepristone and misoprostol - drugs commonly used together to induce a miscarriage in early pregnancy - but had denied giving them to the woman.

After five hours of deliberations, a jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual assault and a charge of administering a poison or using an instrument with intent to procure a miscarriage.

His co-defendant Wayne Finney 41, of Station Street, Swaffham, was found not guilty of intentionally encouraging or assisting Worby.

Mr Finney’s girlfriend Neuza Cepeda, 39, of Walnut Drive, Dereham, had already admitted supplying or procuring an instrument to be used with the intent to procure a miscarriage in connection with the case.

READ MORE: Forced-abortion plot was ‘cold, callous and calculating’

A trial had heard Stuart Worby had been determined to end pregnancy (Image: Denise Bradley/Newsquest) Wayne Finney was found not guilty to assisting him in the forced-abortion plan (Image: Denise Bradley/Newsquest)

The court heard that Worby had bought the tablets for £470 from a gynae centre in London on in July 2022.

Cepeda made a telephone appointment to the centre to say she was pregnant, already had a family, and wanted to have a termination.

She was then given the prescription and the pills were delivered. She then met up with Worby and Finney at the George Hotel in Dereham.

Prosecuting Edmund Vickers KC had told the trial Worby had given the woman mifepristone in a glass of orange juice.

He had then administered misoprostol the next day while she was blindfolded under the guise of "kinky sex".

He said his plan had been “cold, callous and calculating” and that he had refused to take the woman to hospital for three hours despite her being in severe abdominal pain.

Mifepristone blister pack that found in Worby's bin (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

She then attended the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and after enduring a number of hours of pain and blood loss, she suffered a miscarriage and had to have surgery.

She had been around 15 weeks pregnant at the time.

The court heard she had wanted the pregnancy and had not knowingly taken the medication.

She contacted police after realising it was not a spontaneous miscarriage when she found messages on Worby's phone to Wayne Finney saying: "It's working’" and "there is lots of blood".

DCI Duncan Woodhams said: “We pay tribute to the bravery of the victim who has endured the most terrible loss, her courage to come forward and give evidence has been invaluable in ensuring a guilty verdict. 

Stuart Worby was warned he faces 'years in prison' when he is sentenced in December 2024 (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

“We also pay tribute to all the medical and health professionals and family, neighbours and friends who have supported the victim in her testimony. The impact of this event could have life-long repercussions for the victim.

"This has been a complex investigation into the deceitful and determined actions of Worby which had such horrific consequences and marks the first of its kind in finding someone guilty of this specific crime."

High Court Judge Joel Bennathan QC remanded Worby into custody and warned he faces a jail term “in the years” when he and Cepeda are sentenced on December 6.