Hospital assistant jailed for sexually assaulting female colleagues

Hospital staff member jailed for sexually assaulting female colleagues over a nine-year period – almost a decade after a nurse made a formal complaint but felt she was not ‘taken seriously’

• Hernando Puno, 52, sexually assaulted colleagues at Blackpool Victoria Hospital

A member of staff at Blackpool Victoria Hospital was jailed for sexually assaulting female colleagues over a nine-year period.

Predatory healthcare assistant Hernando Puno, 52, slapped their bottoms or tried to kiss them. One victim made a formal complaint to the hospital in 2014 but felt she was not ‘taken seriously’, his trial heard.

Puno was instead told in writing by his employers to ‘improve his conduct in the workplace’. He was convicted by a jury of eight counts of sexual assault on five women at the hospital between 2012 and 2021 and was jailed for nine months in May.

The trial at Burnley Crown Court heard he would approach his victims and grab or slap their bottoms – and in other instances would sneak up and kiss them.

Police launched an investigation in March 2021 when he was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a colleague at the hospital. This led to more victims coming forward and reporting sexual assaults.

Predatory healthcare assistant Hernando Puno, 52, has been jailed for sexually assaulting female colleagues over a nine-year period

The trial at Burnley Crown Court heard he would approach his victims and grab or slap their bottoms

One healthcare assistant described Puno standing closely behind her and kissing her. ‘It wasn’t the kind of kiss you would give a colleague,’ she told the trial. 

She said at the time she did not see herself as a victim of sexual assault because ‘women acknowledge this kind of behaviour from men frequently and have to live with it’. 

He denied intentionally touching the women, claiming he was friendly and any contact was not intended to be sexual.

Sentencing him, Judge Andrew Jefferies KC, told Puno: ‘You did not heed that warning. You appeared to find your behaviour funny, jokey and not a big deal.

‘It was apparent to me that during the course of your evidence you simply did not care or give any thought as to whether any of these women consented to anything you were doing.’

Judge Jefferies branded Puno’s offending ‘cavalier’ and said he displayed an ‘out-of-date attitude’ towards women.

Afterwards Det Ch Insp Jill Johnston, of Lancashire Police, said: ‘Puno is a predatory individual, who targeted younger female healthcare assistants.

Puno denied intentionally touching the women, claiming he was friendly and any contact was not intended to be sexual

‘He dismissed the behaviour as a ‘bit of fun’ accepting no responsibility for the way that he made his victims feel, claiming during the trial that he didn’t care whether his victims consented to his actions.

‘We welcome the sentence handed down at court and hope it serves as a warning to others who commit such crimes.’

Specialist Crown Prosecutor Karen Tonge said Puno’s actions had caused ‘anger and distress’.

‘Their courage in taking a stand against Puno’s behaviour will no doubt have prevented other women suffering the same abuse,’ she added.

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