Swansea care home attack never happened, says worker

Douglas Stephens (centre) is among three defendants who deny ill treatment or wilful neglect

A care worker accused of dragging a vulnerable woman by her hair has told a court it "never happened".

Douglas Stephens, 40, from Cefneithin, Carmarthenshire, denies the ill treatment or wilful neglect of three women at a home in Swansea.

Anthony John Thomas, 64, of Sketty, Swansea, denies the same charges, while Tony Rowlands, 53, from Neath, denies the same charge at another home.

Prosecutors told Swansea Crown Court Mr Stephens pulled the woman off a settee.

They also told the jury that he knelt on her stomach with one knee.

A witness alleges Anthony John Thomas (right) dragged a woman to her bedroom by her hair

Asked by prosecutor Jim Davis whether he had, on this occasion, "lost control" and "snapped", Mr Stephens said: "I didn't do it. It never happened, it never would have happened."

It is alleged that Mr Stephens then used the resident's hair to "bang her head on the floor a number of times", telling her to learn not to hit staff.

Mr Stephens said: "Yet again, I didn't do it, I would never have done it, and it would never have happened."

Tony Rowlands told police "anything he had done had been in self-defence", the court heard

Mr Stephens is facing two other charges, where he is alleged to have made sexual comments towards two separate female residents, including threatening to perform sexual acts on them.

He denied making these comments, telling Mr Davis it "never happened."

When Mr Stephens left the witness box after cross examination, barristers John Hipkin for Anthony Thomas, and David Singh for Tony Rowlands, told the judge they would not be offering any evidence, meaning their clients would not testify.

Jurors were sent home for the day and will return on Tuesday for closing speeches and summing up by the judge, before retiring to consider verdicts.