Nurse cleared of ill-treating patient

A NURSE accused of ill-treating a patient with dementia at Llandough Hospital has been found not guilty.

Matthew Carpenter, 52, was accused by two colleagues of manhandling the alleged victim while she was an inpatient at the hospital on June 2, 2019.

The defendant denied the offences and told Cardiff Crown Court that his accusers, Kylie White and Ryan Scarlett, “made up” the allegations after he threatened to report them to a line manager when they took a cigarette break without permission.

A jury returned a not-guilty verdict on Thursday in respect of two counts of ill-treating a patient, following a trial.

Summing up the case on the same day, Judge David Wynn Morgan reminded the jury of Mr Carpenter’s evidence.

The defendant, of Pen y Bryn Way, Gabalfa, Cardiff, said he needed assistance after the patient was rummaging through other patients’ clothes and became aggressive when he took them off her, and began punching him.

According to Judge Morgan’s summation, Mr Carpenter said: “Kylie White and Ryan Scarlett emerged from the staff room and said they had been for a cigarette break. I said they should only leave the premises one at a time.

“Ryan Scarlett said ‘It’s our break, we’ll go when we want.’ I said I was the nurse in charge and by leaving the ward they were endangering the safety of the patients. I was annoyed with them and was going to raise this smoking business with my line manager.”