Accused denies giving woman abortion pills

Stuart Worby says he had a "reality check" and threw the medication down the sink

A man accused of sexually assaulting a pregnant woman while administering medication to cause her to miscarry has been called a liar by the prosecutor.

Stuart Worby, 40, of Malthouse Court, Dereham, Norfolk, admits unlawfully acquiring medication used to cause a chemical abortion but denies giving it to the woman.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered a miscarriage at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in the summer of 2022.

Mr Worby denies two counts of sexual assault against the woman and a charge of administering a poison or using an instrument with intent to procure a miscarriage.

'Protect his friends'

Under cross-examination at Norwich Crown Court, prosecutor Edmund Vickers KC put it to Mr Worby that he was lying when he said he had not gone through with the plan to give the woman the tablets without her knowledge.

Mr Vickers asked Mr Worby: “Do you regard yourself as a decent man Mr Worby?”

“I like to think so. Everyone who knows me would say I am,” Mr Worby replied.

Mr Vickers said: “This is the last chance to do the decent thing and admit to giving her the pills.”

“I didn’t,” Mr Worby replied.

Mr Worby said he had lied in his initial police interview to try and protect his friends Wayne Finney and Neuza Cepeda, known as Vanessa.

The 11-person jury has already heard that Mr Worby admitted to acquiring the two drugs mifepristone and misoprostol, which are commonly used together to induce a miscarriage in early pregnancy.

But when asked by his defence, Simon Spence KC, if he gave them to the woman he said he did not.

Wayne Finney said he had researched medication for Mr Worby but did not have a role in buying it

Mr Worby said he had put the crushed tablets in a glass for the woman to drink but had thrown them down the sink.

Medical evidence presented in the case confirmed traces of mifepristone were found in blood tests carried out on the woman and on foetal tissue.

In a transcript of his first police interview, which was read to the jury, Mr Finney, 41, of Station Street, Swaffham, said he had researched abortion medication for Mr Worby but "hadn’t done anything illegal”.

The jury have been told that Mr Finney’s girlfriend Ms Cepeda, 39, of Walnut Drive, Dereham, has admitted to supplying or procuring an instrument to be used with the intent to procure a miscarriage in connection with the case.

The trial continues.