GIBSON IDEHEN'S DECEPTION IN COLCHESTER AND ESSEX LEADS TO 30-MONTH JAIL SENTENCE
In a case that has raised serious concerns about safeguarding and the integrity of employment vetting processes, Gibson Idehen, a man with a troubling criminal history, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for multiple counts of fraud.The conviction stems from his deliberate misrepresentation on job application forms, which allowed him to secure positions working with vulnerable populations across Ipswich, Colchester, and Essex.
Gibson Idehen, aged 55 and residing on Rouse Way in Colchester, has a criminal record that dates back several decades.
In 2006, he was sentenced to five years in prison in Belgium after being convicted of child sex offences, including rape.
Despite this, he managed to conceal his past when applying for various roles in the UK, earning more than £25,000 through employment in the care sector.
His failure to disclose his criminal history on multiple job applications has now resulted in his imprisonment.
The court heard that Idehen not only concealed his sex offence convictions but also failed to mention previous jail sentences he received in Belgium in 1994 for forgery and drug supply.
Prosecutor Robert Bryan outlined that these omissions were intentional and part of a pattern of deceit aimed at securing employment in sensitive roles.
In 2017, Idehen was employed as a support worker for 14 vulnerable men in Thorrington, Essex, after lying on his application form about his criminal past.
His employment continued to expand, and by November 2019, he was working in two care homes for vulnerable adults suffering from dementia and learning difficulties, again after falsifying his application details with a Colchester-based recruitment agency.
Further investigations revealed that in October 2019, Idehen completed an application form with an Ipswich recruitment agency, omitting his previous convictions, which led to him securing a position as a child support worker.
His employment record grew as he obtained work at five different establishments across Essex, following additional false applications submitted in December 2019 and January of the following year.
Most notably, he secured a job at a residential care home in Brightlingsea, again through deception.
Following his arrest, Idehen claimed that he had not committed any offences in the UK and believed it was unnecessary to disclose his Belgian convictions.
However, the court was informed that the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks at the time failed to reveal his criminal history because UK authorities were unaware of his past convictions in Belgium.
During the proceedings, Idehen admitted to five counts of fraud, acknowledging that his actions were deliberate and aimed at securing employment in roles that involved working with vulnerable individuals.
His case underscores the importance of thorough background checks and the potential risks posed when individuals with a criminal past are able to secure positions of trust through deception.
