Four carers sentenced over treatment of woman, 85

Staff were caught on CCTV mocking and laughing at an elderly dementia patient

Four care staff who were caught on CCTV degrading an elderly dementia patient have been sentenced.

The 85-year-old resident of Wavertree Nursing Home in Pighue Lane, Liverpool, had incontinence pads either thrown at her or placed on top of her head as staff laughed and joked about it, a court heard.

When the care home manager saw what had been happening on CCTV, they called the police.

At Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, three of the staff accused of ill-treatment - William Vasey, 43, Valerie Marshall, 60, and 51-year-old Adele McIlhatton - were given suspended prison sentences, while Josh Ireland, 23, was given a community order.

The incident caught on CCTV took place on 9 February 2024.

It was clear from the footage that the elderly resident was distressed, but did not understand what was happening to her, the court heard.

'Abuse of trust'

Vasey, of Penlinken Drive in Liverpool, was the senior nurse on duty at the time. He pleaded not guilty and was tried and convicted, along with Marshall and McIlhatton, at Liverpool Crown Court in September.

He received a 12-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months and must complete 10 days of rehabilitation and 180 hours of unpaid work.

Marshall, of Selside Walk, Liverpool, was given a six-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, and 15 days of rehabilitation.

McIlhatton, of Ivydale Road, Liverpool, was also given a six-month term suspended for 12 months, as well as 10 days of rehabilitation and 140 hours of unpaid work.

Ireland, of Bancroft Road in Widnes, pleaded guilty at an early hearing.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order, and must do 20 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Wendy Shelley, 56, of Tetlow Street, Liverpool, was found not guilty after the trial.

Adrian Evans, senior prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Merseyside and Cheshire, said: "The victim was a vulnerable, elderly woman, suffering from dementia.

"These defendants, who were paid to look after her and in whom trust had been placed, abused that trust on that day and taunted and abused a woman they were meant to be looking after."