A CARE worker who attacked and abused a 90-year-old dementia patient has been jailed.
Suzanne Edmondson, 49, was working at Chasewood Care Home in School Lane, Exhall, in February when she pinned down the victim and struck him in the face while swearing at him.
Staff at the site admittedly blew the whistle and called police after another worker witnessed the incident, which left the elderly man in hospital with a black eye, cut above his left eye, bruising to both arms and swollen fingers.
Edmondson was arrested and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and an offence involving care home staff ill-treating a patient. She pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court and was jailed for two years and eight months.
Centre manager Maria Edwards said: “My staff are highly trained in all areas, including whistleblowing for incidents that are witnessed, and this has resulted in a very successful prosecution resulting in a prison sentence being delivered to the perpetrator.
“I notified all of the appropriate professionals right at the very beginning of the complaint being received and they have been kept informed of the progress to bring this to a conclusion.”
Kerry Moreton from the Crown Prosecution Service paid tribute to the care home staff who gave evidence.
“It is important that care homes and other institutions provide an environment where employees are not afraid to speak out when they witness abuse such as this, to ensure offenders can be brought to justice.
“Living free from crime is a basic human right and I urge any older people suffering criminal mistreatment to be confident that the CPS understands the serious nature of these crimes, and to report them to police.”
She added: “Targeting someone because they are older makes a crime even more serious, so it is important that we bring these people to justice – whether they be strangers, carers, as in this case, or family members.
“Suzanne Edmondson was employed to care for vulnerable elderly adults, however, she abused her position of trust and violently attacked a resident at the care home, the very people she should have been trying to protect.”
