Ireland Man jailed for nine years over forced abortion pills in Donegal
Adeleke Adelani, a 28-year-old man, forced a 26-year-old woman to take five misoprostol 200mg abortion pills on St Valentine's Day 2020 at a house in County Donegal, which unlawfully ended the life of a nine-week-old foetus, and then locked her in a bedroom. Gardaí called to the house after the woman contacted them, and Adelani was arrested and interviewed four times without making admissions. He pleaded guilty at Letterkenny Circuit Court to unlawfully ending the foetus's life and to assaulting the woman causing harm, and a later report said sentencing was set for the following week. In February 2026 he was sentenced to nine years for the foetus offence, with a four and a half year sentence for the assault running concurrently, and the total runs consecutive to a sentence imposed in November 2025.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Convicted1 Feb
- Sentenced1 Feb
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A 28-year-old man, Adeleke Adelani, forced a 26-year-old woman to take five misoprostol 200mg abortion pills, unlawfully ending a nine-week-old foetus's life.
- After she took the tablets, the man locked the woman in a bedroom.
- Where
- The offence took place at a house in County Donegal, to which the man had invited the woman.
- When
- The offence took place on St Valentine's Day, 14 February 2020.
- Cause
- The man threatened to beat the foetus out of the woman if she did not take the tablets.
- Other details
- The tablets were procured from a pharmacy in Dublin.
- The woman was taken to hospital to be treated at a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit, and the case is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the country.
- Investigation
- Gardaí called to the house after the woman contacted them and found her there.
- The man was arrested and interviewed four times and made no admissions.
- Charges
- The man pleaded guilty to unlawfully ending the life of a foetus, contrary to section 23.2 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, and to assaulting the woman causing harm, contrary to section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.
- In court
- He appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court before Judge John Aylmer, who said the actions were extremely premeditated, and his barrister said he had struggled with his mental health and drug misuse.
- A report on the guilty pleas said sentencing was set for the following week and the case was adjourned for final sentencing; the articles are recorded as dated 1 February 2026, while their page timestamps read 11 and 19 February 2026.
- Sentence
- The headline sentence for unlawfully ending the foetus's life was reduced from eleven years to nine years for mitigation, and the assault sentence of four and a half years runs concurrently.
- The current sentences run consecutive to a sentence imposed in November 2025.
28 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe foetus was nine weeks old. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe man caused the unlawful termination of a woman's pregnancy by forcing her to take abortion pills. (thejournal.ie)
- whatAfter she took the tablets, the man locked the woman in a bedroom. (thejournal.ie)
- whereThe woman was locked in a room at a house in County Donegal. (thejournal.ie)
- whereThe man invited the woman to his home in Donegal. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe offence took place on St Valentine's Day in 2020. (thejournal.ie)
- causeThe accused forced the woman to take five abortion pills. (thejournal.ie)
- causeThe man forced the woman to take five misoprostol 200mg tablets. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationThe accused was arrested and interviewed four times but made no admissions. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí called to the house after the woman contacted them, and found her there. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationThe man was arrested and interviewed four times and made no admissions. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe accused pleaded guilty to unlawfully ending the life of a foetus. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe accused pleaded guilty to assaulting the woman and causing her harm. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe man pleaded guilty to unlawfully ending the life of a foetus, contrary to section 23.2 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe man pleaded guilty to assaulting the woman and causing her harm, contrary to section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe judge said the actions were extremely premeditated. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe man appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court before Judge John Aylmer for sentencing. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe headline sentence for unlawfully ending the foetus's life was reduced from eleven years to nine years for mitigation. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe two sentences are to run concurrently. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe current sentences are to run consecutive to a sentence imposed in November 2025. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe man is to be sentenced next week. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe judge adjourned the case for final sentencing at a future date. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe accused threatened to beat the foetus out of the woman if she did not take the tablets. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe man threatened to beat the woman's nine-week-old foetus out of her if she did not take the tablets. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe tablets were procured from a pharmacy in Dublin. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe woman was taken to hospital to be treated at a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe case is believed to be one of the first such cases in the country. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe man's barrister said his client had struggled with his mental health and had been involved in drug misuse. (thejournal.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 1 Feb2026Man who forced woman to take pills to terminate pregancy set to be sentenced next week
Court report on the man's guilty pleas and the victim's impact statement, ahead of sentencing. The article says sentencing is set for next week and that the case was adjourned for final sentencing at a future date.
convicted, 20s, malevictim, 20s, female - 1 Feb2026Man who forced woman to take abortion pills jailed for nine years
Reports the sentencing of Adeleke Adelani, who received nine years for the unlawful ending of a foetus's life, with the assault sentence of four and a half years running concurrently, and notes the sentence runs consecutive to a sentence imposed in November 2025. Includes the victim impact statement and defence mitigation.
convicted, Adeleke Adelani, 28, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Adeleke Adelanivictim, 26, female