Care home killing: Family of Eileen Dean seek answers

Eileen Dean (r) with her daughter Georgie Hampshaw

Just after midnight on 4 January this year, 93-year-old Eileen Dean was severely beaten by a fellow resident at her south London old people's home, and died in hospital that evening. Her attacker was 62, and had a history of violent and threatening behaviour.

Eileen's family want to know how someone with his profile came to be placed in a home for vulnerable, elderly people.

"It's like putting a fox in a chicken coop," says her daughter, Georgie Hampshaw.

'She loved life'

Born in Bermondsey, south-east London, in 1927, Eileen was one of eight children.

She was evacuated when war began, but at 14 started work in a factory, later taking an office job.

Her passion was dancing, which is how she met her husband, Charlie.

Eileen and Charlie on their wedding day in 1953

A year short of their 40th wedding anniversary, Charlie died, and - in her 60s - Eileen had to adjust to life on her own.

Eventually, she moved into sheltered accommodation after showing signs of dementia and, with her lifelong sense of fun, enjoyed activities with neighbours and spending time at day centres.

But when the pandemic took hold, the centres closed and Eileen "started declining quite rapidly", says Georgie.

"I felt awful. It was like she was a prisoner in her own home."

Eileen with daughter Georgie and sons Charlie (L) and Jim (R)

Last summer, Georgie and her brothers decided that, for her own safety, Eileen needed to move to a care home.

"It was a really hard decision," says Georgie, "but unfortunately I could not do 24-hour care.

"We felt it was the right thing to keep her safe, because she was turning the oven on and not knowing what she was doing."

The family chose Fieldside Care Home in Catford, south London.

Georgie checked it out, was reassured by its good ratings, and Eileen settled in well.

Fieldside care home was rated "good" by the Care Quality Commission

"Mum was much more happy in herself, she made a friend, another little old lady and they used to sit together," says Georgie.

"I wasn't allowed in because of Covid but I could see her through the windows and she would come out into the garden, and she was so much more relaxed because she didn't have to worry about things like whether she had eaten."

Staff at the home said Eileen was "lovely, very calm and quiet".

Covid regulations meant the family were unable to visit Eileen at Christmas but the home "made it special", says Georgie.

Eileen looked "glamorous" in a photo of the care home Christmas lunch, says Georgie

"Unfortunately she did get Covid after Christmas but she didn't have any symptoms, she wasn't ill with it at all.

"She was strong and I think she would have survived it."

'Horrific'

When Georgie and her husband were woken by police at 03:00 on the first Monday of the new year, they thought it was about Eileen's Covid.

Then the officers told them Eileen had been seriously attacked, and they drove to King's College Hospital in south London.

"We didn't know what had happened at that stage, and then the doctor and the nurse came and they started detailing all her injuries and I just couldn't believe it. I broke down sobbing," says Georgie.

Eileen had been beaten with a walking stick: "It was horrific but she still survived. She lost a lot of blood and had a blood transfusion. She had a heart attack as well and they resuscitated her...

"I don't know how she survived the attack at all but she was strong and she hadn't said goodbye."

When she went in, Georgie could not recognise her mother: "Her face was so swollen and it was heavily bandaged. She was beaten really badly and her arm was broken as well.

"I don't know how anyone could have used that level of force on an old person. It's not human, it's not right.

"I had to look at her feet and, you know it's awful, because I thought: 'Well maybe they've got some other old lady, they've made a mistake,' but then I saw her feet and I realised it was my mum and I just told her to let go and I said goodbye.

"I said I loved her and not to worry about me, because she was always worried about me.

"Something has gone terribly wrong. No-one would think this could happen to their mother.

"You put them in a care home and you don't expect them to be killed...

"I had looked after her for 30 years. The one time I had put my trust in the authorities to help me, this happened."

'Who is checking?'

Eileen's attacker, Alexander Rawson, then 62, had been placed in the room next to hers at Fieldside, three days before Christmas.

Her family want everyone involved in the decision to place him in Fieldside to be held to account.

"Why would you put someone with that level of violence into a care home?" asks Georgie.

"It's like putting a fox in a chicken coop. You just don't know if this is happening all over.

"There could be lots of elderly people having someone put in their care home who's violent.

"Who is doing the checking?"

Eileen at her 90th birthday party

Georgie is determined her mother's life should not defined by the way she died.

"She was a great mum. She loved life and she would want all of us to enjoy our lives and be strong and not let this ruin our family.

"She liked to laugh, she was really funny and would have us all in stitches.

"I'm going to remember her like that and not let this person who did this awful act spoil her memory."