A man who forced a pregnant woman to take abortion medication against her will has been jailed for nine years in the Republic of Ireland.

Adeleke Adelani was sentenced at Letterkenny Circuit Court after admitting unlawfully terminating the woman’s pregnancy on 14 February 2020 in Letterkenny, County Donegal.

The court heard that the woman, who was nine weeks pregnant, had decided to keep her baby. Adelani invited her to his home on Valentine’s Day, leading her to believe he supported her decision.

Instead, prosecutors said he threatened violence and forced her to swallow five 200mg misoprostol tablets, drugs typically administered under medical supervision. He then locked her in a bedroom.

Despite her distress, the woman managed to contact gardaí. Officers arrived at the property that afternoon and arrested Adelani at the scene.

She later became seriously unwell, suffering fever, chills, intense cramps and heavy bleeding.

Judge John Aylmer imposed an 11-year prison term, suspending the final two years. Adelani also received a five-year sentence, with the last 12 months suspended, for assault causing harm. The sentences will run at the same time.

The judge described the crime as “extremely premeditated,” saying it involved extensive online research. He said Adelani had been fully aware that the woman wanted to continue the pregnancy and understood the emotional harm his actions would cause.

A recording recovered from Adelani’s phone, which remained locked for four years before investigators accessed it; was played in court. In it, he told the woman she had to have an abortion.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she had forgiven him but spoke of the lasting impact.

“When he wrongfully imprisoned me and caused the termination of my nine-week pregnancy, he took far more than my freedom,” she said. “He took my child. He took my sense of safety. He took a future that I had already begun to plan and love.”

The court heard that the couple had previously ended a pregnancy by mutual agreement in 2019. This time, however, she had chosen to proceed.

Adelani made no admissions during police interviews and was described as non-compliant. In a letter read in court, he later apologised and said he accepted responsibility.

He is already serving a separate seven-year prison sentence for another offence.

After sentencing, Detective Inspector Paul McGee praised the woman’s “unwavering strength and resolve” throughout the investigation.