Care worker who swore at dementia patient spared jail
ACARE home assistant who swore at an elderly dementia patient and forced dentures into his mouth has avoided a jail term – but has lost her job.
Amy Brookes, 31, denied repeatedly swearing at former soldier David Bevan but was convicted of two counts of ill-treatment by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court.
The court heard experienced care home worker Brookes was “angry and agitated” when Mr Bevan, 81, resisted attempts to be fed.
Mr Bevan had Parkinson’s disease and vascular dementia and was unable to feed or bathe himself.
Prosecutor Nigel Fryer said: “One always hopes that staff who care for these individuals treat them with the dignity and compassion they deserve.
“Brookes simply did not. The behaviour demonstrated by Amy Brookes amounted to the ill-treatment of David Bevan.”
Cardiff Crown Court heard Brookes was caught by a colleague trying to force Mr Bevan’s dentures into his mouth and became “angry” when he refused to open his mouth.
Lianne Howe, who worked at 44-bed Glanffrwd Care Home, in Pencoed, Bridgend, told a jury: “I tried saying that I didn’t think he wanted them in. Amy stopped what she was doing, she swore, and put the dentures back in the bathroom. “She said: ‘Oh for f***’s sake’.” “She gave him a drink but David didn’t want anything because it tipped everywhere. It went all over David and all down the floor.
“Brookes said: ‘For f***’s sake, f ****** hell, why are you f ****** doing this? Look what you have f ****** done David’.”
Ms Lowe reported the incident , which happened last April, and the police were called. Brookes, who’d worked at the home for 10 years, was suspended before losing her job.
Now unemployed, Brookes, of Chapel Road, Wern Tarw, Bridgend, denied two charges of ill-treating a person who lacks capacity but was found guilty by a jury.
Judge Philip Harris-Jenkins told her: “The whole purpose of your employment at the home was to care for residents like Mr Bevan.
“He was wholly unable to self-care and relied on you for everything.
“You abused your position as a carer by causing him distress.
“It not only caused Mr Bevan distress at the time, it must also cut like a knife for his family who heard about the distress caused by you towards their loved one.”
Brookes was handed an eightmonth suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 250 hours’ unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs.
The court heard that Mr Bevan has since died.