A United Kingdom-based Nigerian teacher, Elizabeth Adeagbo, will be sentenced on May 14 after being found guilty of assaulting a toddler at a nursery.
The incident, which occurred on April 16, 2025, came to light through a report by the Daily Mail.
Adeagbo, 29, was prosecuted before the Sefton Magistrates’ Court, where proceedings revealed that the child had approached her and held onto her trouser in an attempt to get attention.
It was gathered that the teacher, who was engaged through a staffing agency, was washing breakfast dishes when the incident happened.
During the trial, she reportedly told the court that she lifted the child by the arm to avoid getting him wet due to her apron.
However, CCTV footage presented in court showed the toddler crying as he was carried across the room by one arm. The court also heard that the child was still visibly distressed when his mother arrived to pick him up later that day.
The report further noted that Adeagbo, who had a 17-month-old child at the time, claimed she intended to remove her wet apron with her free hand while holding the toddler.
Prosecuting counsel, Edward Handley, argued that the manner in which the child was handled was clearly inappropriate.
In response, defence lawyer, Caleb Suggitt, told the court that Adeagbo had prior experience working in childcare both in the UK and Nigeria without any record of misconduct.
He added that she had expressed remorse over her actions and did not intend to cause harm.
Following her conviction last Friday, the court adjourned sentencing to May 14 at the Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.
The child’s mother, according to the report, said she became aware of the incident after receiving a call from the nursery.
She said she immediately went to check on her child and later took him to the hospital for examination, where no physical injuries were found, though she described the experience as distressing.