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Terror of the elderly residents
A WOMAN employed to care for vulnerable elderly people subjected them to terror, a court heard yesterday.
Tina Gillespie, 31, slapped a wheelchair-bound woman aged 84 across the face with the back of her hand and shouted at and pushed other residents of the Elsinor residential home in Scarborough.
She also pushed an elderly man with such force that his head struck a wall and she shoved a woman aged 87 so hard out of a room that the pensioner's legs buckled under her.
Gillespie was employed at the care home in Esplanade Gardens to help look after the needs of its fee-paying residents – but York Crown Court heard that she robbed dementia sufferers of their dignity by physically abusing them over a period of six months.
She was today starting a jail sentence of nine months.
The home declined to comment.
Judge Patrick Robertshaw, sitting at York Crown Court, said that above all the residents, who were suffering from a "cruel condition" and at the end of their lives were "human beings above all" and entitled to care, dignity, and respect.
However, at the hands of Gillespie, of Windsor Terrace, Whitby, her victims were left bewildered, confused and injured.
Judge Robertshaw told her: "You were a professional paid to exercise skill, competence and above all compassion.
"These are vulnerable individuals each coming to the close of their lives. In the bewilderment and confusion of their last days they were human beings above all else. Clearly you were wholly unsuited to the work you were being paid to do."
He added her actions "robbed them of their dignity" and that the manner in which she conducted herself "towards human beings no less vulnerable than young children" was revolting.
Matthew Bean, prosecuting, told how over a six-month period other members of staff at the home witnessed Gillespie shouting at, pushing and injuring residents.
Gillespie, who admitted one charge of common assault and three of ill-treating a person lacking capacity, was first seen on February 26 last year, slapping an 84-year-old woman wheelchair-bound woman across the face with the back of her hand because a door she pushed open in order to enter a room banged against a table.
The victim had her glasses knocked off in the attack and was left with reddening to her nose and face.
Three months later an 87-year-old woman fell victim to Gillespie's temper, being shouted at, grabbed and pushed out of a room with such force her legs were buckling under her.
Mr Bean added that another elderly resident was "barricaded" into a corner by a table pushed against him by Gillespie in August last year and then pushed back into a chair with such force his head struck the wall behind him.
The final victim, said Mr Bean, was a resident who on August 27 last year, was seen holding his chest and shouting: "Get off me", with Gillespie kneeling against him.
As another member of staff led the man away, Gillespie was poking him in the back apparently trying to making him walk faster.
He was later found to have a one inch long injury to his chest, apparently caused by a fingernail.
When first interviewed, Gillespie, who has not previous convictions, denied any wrongdoing.
Adam Birkby, mitigating, said that there had not been any intention to bully the residents, but her behaviour had been due to a series of impulsive overreactions to working in a stressful working environment.
He added that Gillespie, who had since become reliant of diazepam, now realised that she was not cut out for that type of work and had no intentions of ever returning to it.
Passing sentence, Judge Robertshaw said a deterrent sentence was needed.
He added this was not least to assure family carers having to look after dementia suffers 24/7, and contemplating the difficult and emotional decision of sending their loved ones into care, could be assured that the courts were there to protect.
The Elsinore said it would make a comment but did not do so in time for publication.
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Weather for Scarborough
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -6 C to 3 C
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