UPDATED: Carer jailed for abusing dementia patient (From St Helens Star)

UPDATED: Carer jailed for abusing dementia patient

9:16am Wednesday 26th May 2010 in News By Stephen Mather

A CARER who “degraded and humiliated” an 85-year-old dementia patient has been jailed for six months.

Senior Care Nurse David Hill, 48, had squirted the elderly resident at Victoria Care Home in Rainford with water from a syringe, force fed her and flicked food at her.

He admitted causing ill treatment or neglect of a person that lacks capacity under the Mental Health Act after changing his plea moments before a trial was due to start earlier this month.

Meanwhile Kathleen Roberts, who pleaded guilty to the same charge, was given a four month jail term, suspended for 18-months.

Roberts, from Dunmail Avenue, Carr Mill played a less active role but was said to have laughed at and encouraged Hill’s actions.

Passing sentence, Judge Robert Warnock said: “Both of you were in a position of trust that required the highest degree of responsibility because your patients and Dotty Tunstall in particular were vulnerable people who can not look after or indeed speak up for themselves.

“You David Hill grossly abused that trust apparently for your own perverse enjoyment.

“You force fed her, you flicked food in her face and you put her in a hoist and spun her around when you knew she was terrified. You over a period of time made her life a misery and there was nothing she could do about it.”

Calling Roberts a “willing assistant”, he added: “I can not understand how you can possibly have found it funny.”

Addressing both defendants, he added: “Your joint actions were degrading and humiliating and of course they were against the vulnerable.

I have a public duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

Mrs Tunstall has since died. Michael Wolff, who was defending Roberts, described her as “a broken woman”, who had collapsed in tears when she heard of Mrs Tunstall’s death. Hill’s barrister Daniel Travers said: “He acted out of character and is ashamed and totally regrets what happened.”

He suggested that Hill had struggled to cope while at the unit.

Both have been dismissed by the company, which manages the care home.