Swansea: Sex threats care home manager jailed for neglect

Douglas Stephens (l) and Anthony John Thomas (r) were found guilty of ill treatment or wilful neglect

A care home manager who dragged a vulnerable woman by her hair and made sex threats has been jailed for 15 months.

Douglas Stephens, 41, of Cefneithin, Carmarthenshire, was found guilty of the ill treatment or wilful neglect of three women who lacked capacity at Gower Lodge in Swansea.

Two other care workers were also jailed.

Judge Geraint Walters QC described their offending as "abhorrent".

The whistleblower whose evidence sparked the police investigation in 2012 said she was "relieved" the process was over.

Stephens assaulted one vulnerable resident by grabbing her by the hair and pulling her off a settee before press one knee into her stomach.

He then used her hair to "bang her head on the floor a number of times", telling her to learn not to hit staff.

He also made sexual comments towards two female residents, including threatening to perform sexual acts on them, as well as a racist slur towards another resident.

Anthony John Thomas, 65, of Sketty, Swansea, was jailed for 15 months after being found guilty of two counts of the same charge against two victims.

Anthony John Thomas dragged a woman to her bedroom by her hair

In one incident, Thomas put his knee on the front of his victim while putting his thumb into his throat, causing him to turn red and scream at him to get off.

David Wedlake, 38, of Manselton, Swansea, who admitted one count of the same offence, was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison.

Secret video recordings by the whistleblower showed an exchanged with one of the victims where Wedlake offered her a rope when she was in distress and threatening to commit suicide.

When she accused him of not caring, he answered: "I don't get paid to care."

Gower Lodge provided intensive support and accommodation for people with highly challenging learning disabilities, complex mental health and other needs.

Emily Jane Holborow, 28, only worked at Gower Lodge for eight weeks and said she did not witness any of the physical abuse, but felt so uncomfortable at the treatment of clients that she quit.

She said she remembered sitting down in the staff area and one employee made a joke about which staff member he would sleep with and kept asking all the staff which patient they would sleep with.

"I just felt so awkward, he even asked me and I just said 'I'm not getting involved', like I don't know what to say - it was awful," she said.

Ms Holborow was the first member of staff to raise concerns and used her phone to secretly record the abuse, which was instrumental in helping the police investigate.

Judge Walters described her and another whisteblower as "courageous" and "commendable".

He said the offending "amounts unquestionable to thoughtless and heartless unkindness, committed in what can only be described as a serious breach of trust."

Since these crimes were committed, Gower Lodge has had its name changed to Cae Deri.