An abusive care assistant, who sparked a mass cover-up at a home for the mentally-ill after a shocked "whistleblower" - who witnessed systematic cruelty - reported him to social services, was jailed for ten months yesterday.
Police found potentially incriminating documents and official paperwork had been shredded at Bromley's Lauriston House, a seventy-bed residential home for mainly elderly residents suffering dementia, brain damage and other serious disabilities.
Care assistant Marc Harwood, 44, (pic.top) of Howard Way, Bromley denied ill-treating a 92 year-old one-legged female dementia sufferer and two other elderly residents at the home in Bickley Park Road, Bickley.
"The position at the care home was not a happy one and you will hear from care assistant Niluka Ralalage, (pic.bottom) who became shocked at some of the practices going on," prosecutor Mr. Matthew Farmer told the Croydon Crown Court jury.
"She was shocked at the rough treatment and abuse Mr. Harwood meted out to the patients and it is sad to say the management ignored what she told them.
"You could call her a whistleblower and she went to Bromley social services and the subsequent enquiry found the home's management were uncooperative and a lot of documents had been destroyed and shredded.
"Thirteen members of staff were suspended and dismissed, including the manager and assistant manager, and some of the nursing staff were reported to their disciplinary body.
"The culture that was prevalent at the home was one of abuse and neglect."
The court heard 92 year-old Molly Gravenell, who has had one of her legs amputated and is immobile, was being moved from her bed to a wheelchair by Harwood.
"She was being hoisted from her bed and Mr. Harwood was getting angry with her for not bending her remaining leg. It was rigid and fixed, which did happen sometimes.
"He began shouting in Molly's face: 'Bend your bloody leg' and when Niluka intervened told her: 'You're new, you don't know these people, she's a drama queen.'
"His face was twisted and Molly had tears in her eyes as he shouted at her: 'You just eat and sleep. You're a pain in the backside."
On another occasion Molly had a mysterious black eye after Harwood brought her breakfast.
"He must have seen it and should have reported it so she could get care and attention," explained Mr. Farmer.
Another elderly resident, Cathleen Hill, who had suffered a brain tumour, a stroke and was paralysed down one side and was blind in one eye was being cleaned in her room by Harwood after soiling herself.
"Niluka saw that Mrs Hill was completely naked and Mr. Harwood was extremely angry, shouting: 'Look at this fucking woman. Look at what she's fucking done.'
"He told the resident: 'You're a pain in the backside, kill yourself, cut your throat.
"He said: 'I'm going to fuck you,' and had his thumb extended in front of her, moving it back and forth, simulating sex."
Brain-damaged resident Frank Lord, who was another stroke victim and paralysed down one side, had also soiled himself and was being cleaned by Harwood.
"He was handling him really roughly and flung his arm with a lot of force," explained Mr. Farmer. "Frank was screaming and seemed to be in a lot of pain.
"Mr. Harwood said: 'He's an idiot just a nuisance. He's paralysed, how can he feel pain? He's a drama queen.'
"The screaming continued with Mr. Harwood shouting: 'Don't fuck me or I'll fuck you back' and he slapped Frank really hard on the stomach."
Harwood also pretended he had fed patients when he had not and lied that he had taken them to the toilet and changed their incontinence pads, the jury heard.
Sri Lankan buddhist Miss Ralalage, who still works at the home, told the jury: "I treat the residents like my own parents or grandparents. I have become very close and attached to them."
Harwood was convicted of three counts of ill-treating each patient, wilfully neglecting Mrs Gravenell, assaulting Mr. Lord and wilfully neglecting other unnamed residents between February 1 and August 12, last year.
1 comment:
Shame it wasn't reported how the whistleblower & so called RGN testifying were sackedc after the evidence including photos showing that there were NO injuries inflicted & paper work written proving his innocence was found hidden by the area manager Sandra Hensley in the rest room by new manager.
Also how 6 people were not allowed to testify that accusations were false against him.
Ask why whistleblower was sacked.
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