Heartless care staff tormented dementia sufferers
TWO care workers who mocked dementia sufferers and threw stones at them during a spate of ‘happy slap’ pranks have been put behind bars.
Student nurse Abana Arshad and Amy Greenhalgh, both 24, hurled gravel at victims as they begged them to stop and would laugh as they filmed their distressed reactions on mobile phones.
Up to seven elderly residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s were secretly targeted by the pair behind the back of unsuspecting colleagues while working a shift at a specialist EMI unit at the Laburnum Court care home in Salford.
None of the victims were able to say who ill-treated them due to their confused condition.
Arshad and Greenhalgh, whose mother is a nurse, were eventually found out when one was seen loading her pockets with gravel from the driveway. One resident had rolled up plastic gloves thrown at her.
Stones were also found on the floor in the rooms of the victims.
When the pair realised they were going to be discovered, they tried to pin the blame on some of the residents and smeared one innocent senior colleague as a ‘crackhead.’
They also warned each other to delete any incriminating pictures on the phones.
In a Facebook exchange, Greenhalgh said: “Someone’s reported us about stones being thrown,’’ only for Arshad to respond: “Are you for real? You can’t trust anyone in work I swear. Haha.
“Just say Jack threw something at Cindy. Delete it all off your phone to be on the safe side.’’
Greenhalgh added: “Did we get all the stones off the floor in the rooms?’’ Abana replied: “Don’t think anybody will clock that. I’ll back you.’’
Police found the messages when they interviewed the pair about the conduct. One mocking video of a resident was recovered which said: “Cindy dancing on the floor – checking if people are looking haha,” with lots of laughing emojis.
In a statement Craig Gardner, whose 67-year-old father Jack was one of the victims, said he and his sister had to sell their parents’ house to pay for the £1,000 a week care fees for Jack and their mother, who has Alzheimer’s and who lives in a different nursing home.
Mr Gardner, 43, said: “He has been truly let down and whilst the nature of his illness likely means he will forget, we will not.
At Manchester Magistrates’ Court, Arshad, from Crumpsall and Greenhalgh from Eccles, were each jailed for 20 weeks after being convicted of illtreating a person without mental capacity. Several of their victims have since passed away.
Sentencing, District Judge James Hatton told them: “The victims deserve more from two young people who should have been caring for them.
“They mocked and bullied people who were unable to protect and defend themselves and they never demonstrated any genuine remorse for their behaviour.’’
The incidents took place on July 15 2018 whilst the pair were working together at the 31-bed unit.
In mitigation Ian Cochrane, for Arshad, said: “She led an exemplary life and was hard working and law abiding. She embarked upon a nursing degree with an ambition to become a nurse.
“But a long-term relationship broke down and that was the catalyst for the course coming to an end.”
Defending Greenhalgh, Matthew Wallace claimed his client had been bullied at school.
He added: “She wasn’t the instigator – she was just present and she joined in.”
FIRE crews extinguished a blaze caused by a kitchen cooker.
Four fire engines were called to the blaze on Clover Hall Crescent, Rochdale, just before 5.25pm on Tuesday.
Firefighters treated two people who were inside at the time for smoke inhalation.
They were then checked over by North West Ambulance Service staff, but did not need hospital treatment.
It is understood the fire started in the kitchen and involved a cooker.
Firefighters from Littleborough, Heywood, Oldham and Rochdale attended the scene.
They used breathing apparatus and specialist equipment to bring the fire under control.