Care assistant denies assault on elderly care home resident

Care assistant denies assault on elderly care home resident

12 July 2011

A CARE assistant accused of ill-treating a patient in a local care home has denied there is any truth in the charge against him.

The man, who cannot be identified to protect his alleged victim, denied inappropriately touching the patient’s genitals and making a joke about it to a colleague.

He is alleged to have committed the offence against the severely disabled man in May 2010.

At an earlier hearing a second charge against the defendant was dismissed by Deputy District Judge Gerard Trainor.

At that hearing, one member of staff said he did not see any inappropriate touching, but another said she witnessed an incident, and said that it caused the patient discomfort.

She said she was “disgusted” but the defendant “shrugged it off as if it was a joke” and “sniggered”. She admitted not reporting the incident immediately, instead sending an anonymous letter to the manager of the care home when she heard the same allegation being repeated by another member of staff.

At Thursday’s continuance of the contested hearing, the manager of the care home detailed her internal investigation to the court, before the accused gave evidence to say the incident of ill-treatment described to the court never occurred.

“I am very passionate and dedicated about my work,” he said. “I would never do anything like that.”

He also suggested another medical condition suffered by the man could have resulted in the distress allegedly witnessed.

A defence barrister said his client’s age and clean record meant his account had to be given the same weight as that of the witness, and suggested the charge could not be proved beyond all reasonable doubt.

Judgement will be on December 21.