Carers to stand trial over allegedabusetowoman

SEVEN carers will go on trial accused of abusing a woman in their care after pleading not guilty to a string of charges.

The women, who were all employed by care firm Community Lifestyles at the time of the alleged offences, appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday.

Catherine Kilcullen, 61, Allison, Carr, 51, Dianne McGarr, 47, Julie Rundell, 36, Marie Paterson, 64, Isabella Scott, 66, and Linda Smith, 60, face seven charges between them.

All are accused of making abusive and threatening comments at a house in Barlanark in 2015.

Scott, from Carntyne, is also charged with assaulting Mary Ann Caldwell by wrapping clothing around her hand at the Garvel Road home on March 8, 2015.

McGarr, from Easterhouse, and Rundell, from Bridgeton, are alleged to have made abusive remarks on March 31 during the course of their employment, while Paterson, of Glasgow City Centre, is accused of doing the same between February 1 and April 3, 2015.

Paterson and Smith, from Uddingston, have been charged with making abusive remarks and attempting to bang a door on February 27, 2015.

Kilcullen, from Parkhead, and Rundell are charged with making abusive remarks “aggravated by prejudice relating to disability” on March 17, 2015.

Kilcullen and McGarr are charged with making threatening and abusive remarks on February 23, 2015, while Carr, from Sandyhills, and Paterson are accused of doing the same on March 2 that year.

Lawyers representing the women told Sheriff Divers their clients maintained their not guilty pleas, with most of the lawyers agreeing with the prosecution’s motion to delay trial for further evidence to be disclosed, namely recordings of the alleged incidents.

The procurator fiscal said: “The recordings are the entire case really.”

The solicitor representing Allison Carr disputed the motion, arguing that the case was first reported to the police in 2015, and the recordings had been with forensics since March this year.

She said: “It is completely unacceptable and prejudicial for this to be dragged out.”

Sheriff Divers agreed with the proposal to reschedule the trial date.