Zimbabwean Man Jailed in UK After Posing as Registered Nurse for 5 Years

Zimbabwean Man Jailed in UK After Posing as Registered Nurse for 5 Years

A Zimbabwean man living in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after stealing another person’s identity to work as a registered nurse.

Ashton Guramatunhu, 46, registered with a nursing agency in Warrington in 2014 using the identity of a legitimate nurse, the Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Also Read: Zimbabwean Man Jailed for 18 Years in UK for Child Abuse

Worked Across Multiple Care Homes

According to Cheshire Constabulary, Guramatunhu, of Bobeche Place in Kingswinford near Dudley, went on to secure employment at six nursing homes across the north east of England.

Authorities said he had no nursing qualifications, yet took on roles that required professional training and posed serious risks to vulnerable patients.

Also Read: Zimbabwean Man Slapped With A 34-Year Jail Sentence For Cable Theft In South Africa

Discovery Triggered by Complaint to the Regulator

Police investigations began in 2019 when the real nurse he was impersonating contacted the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after receiving notice of a “fitness to practise” hearing unrelated to him.

This alert exposed the identity fraud and prompted an extensive investigation into Guramatunhu’s employment history.

Police Condemn ‘Dangerous’ Deception

Detective Constable Naomi Sargent, who led the case, said Guramatunhu’s actions had put lives in danger.

“He put the lives of innocent patients at risk, purely for his own financial gain,” she said.

DC Sargent added that Guramatunhu would likely have continued the deception had he not been arrested.

Guilty Plea and Sentencing

Guramatunhu pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation at an earlier court hearing.

He was sentenced on Tuesday to a total of 40 months in prison.

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