A male migrant borrowed a female friend's identity to tend to seriously ill patients in the A&E unit at the NHS hospital where killer nurse Lucy Letby worked, a court heard. Lucius Njoku, 33, fraudulently used the name of agency nurse Joyce George to work as a healthcare assistant at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Chester.
And no-one questioned it. What's the point of photocards, then?
Njoku was not spotted by colleagues despite wearing the woman's NHS name badge - complete with clear photograph, Chester magistrates' court heard. Over two months between February and April, he washed and dressed patients, and carried out observations.
Perhaps the fact that he apparently did some work and didn't stand around gossiping or flicking through a magazine should have given the game away?
Thanks to a suspicious patient, he was finally caught:
He was only found out when a suspicious patient confronted Njoku and the fraudster blustered: 'My name is Joyce - but I am a man'. Inquiries revealed George, 32, also a Nigerian national living in nearby Ellesmere Port, obtained a job at the hospital via an outside agency after a successful interview.But she allowed Njoku to do her shifts under her name. It is not clear where he obtained his NHS uniform.
Yes, that's the critical take from this...
Police raided George's home and found Njoku at the address. Mobile phones taken from both suspects showed exchange of text messages relating to shifts at the Countess. Both declined to comment in police interviews.
It is not known whether he will be deported as he is a 'dependent' on his wife's work visa.
Oh, I think it is known, given the utter uselessness of our justice system...
George fled the UK after she was charged with fraud and is thought to have returned to Nigeria. An arrest warrant was issued.
They didn't seize her passport?
Sentencing on Thursday, District Judge Jack McGarva told Njoku: 'You deceived your way into a job which requires safe guarding checks.' The judge said: 'That undermines the system. Although you were qualified and you did the work without complaint, that is not the point.'
They didn't 'undermine the system' Judge, they simply blew right through it!
