Hospital worker guilty of slapping dementia patient

The trial was held at Gloucester Crown Court

A former member of staff at a psychiatric hospital has been found guilty of slapping a dementia patient and kneeing him in the bottom.

Jason Woolridge, 51, was alleged to have found the 76-year-old on his hands and knees before shouting at him to get up, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

The former health care assistant, from Framilode, in Gloucestershire, had denied ill-treating the man and causing him to cry out in distress.

Woolridge will be sentenced on 4 March.

The in-patient, a father-of-three, had been diagnosed with dementia in 2016 and lost his independence in 2017.

His wife of 38 years told the jury her husband was admitted to Charlton Lane Hospital, in Cheltenham, in December 2019, thinking it was "the best possible place to get the care he needed".

On 2 January 2020 the court heard Woolridge slapped the victim in the hospital's Willow Ward.

Screamed in distress

Health care assistant Sunny DaSilva told the jury he was in the communal area with three other staff members at about 20:30 GMT when he saw the man get down on his hands and knees and begin to pick up imaginary bits from the floor.

Mr DaSilva said: "It was at this point Woolridge told [the man] to stand up, using a forceful but not overly aggressive voice.

"When [the victim], a fairly skinny man, didn't respond Woolridge slapped him on the bottom a number of times.

"I heard the slaps over the noise of the television, so they must have been significant.

"I heard the patient scream after he had been hit.

"Woolridge then kneed him in his buttocks, after which he grabbed his arm - not in the way we had been trained - and manhandled him back to his chair.

"Again I heard [the victim] screaming out in distress. I was shocked at what I witnessed, as were the other health care assistants."

An anonymous complaint was made to the Care Quality Commission on 7 January, after which an internal investigation was held at the hospital.

Woolridge was suspended and then sacked and the matter was reported to the police.

'Never struck him'

Giving evidence, Woolridge denied slapping the victim and said: "[The man] was not on all fours when I verbally challenged him.

"It didn't happen as it has been alleged.

"[He] was standing up in the middle of the room. However, his trousers had fallen down and I went to assist.

"I never struck him with my hand or knee'd him in the buttocks.

"I definitely did not pick him up, because he was never on the floor.

"Additionally, I had medical issues which would have prevented me from picking him up off the floor."

Woolridge was found guilty by the jury after they had deliberated for three hours and 46 minutes.