Care home resident ‘had her head slammed against floor’

A RESIDENT of a care home had her head repeatedly slammed against the floor after a carer lost patience with her, a court has been told.

The alleged victim was also subjected to sexual comments, while another resident was verbally abused with the n-word, the court heard.

The allegations were made at the start of a trial of three employees who worked at a residential home in the Swansea area.

But employees Douglas Stephens, Anthony Thomas and Tony Rowlands all deny a total of seven counts of illtreating or neglecting a person who lacks mental capacity.

Jim Davis, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court it was acknowledged that the residents’ behaviour could often be “challenging”, and said staff used a system called Studio III which emphasises the management of residents through distraction and de-escalation techniques, with physical intervention only used as a last resort.

The court heard from a colleague who worked with Stephens and Thomas.

Aaron Nicholas, formerly Amy Nicholas, told the court he had witnessed Stevens lose his temper with one vulnerable adult.

He said: “Doug was on the phone and just shouted ‘I have had a ******* gutsful of this’ quite loudly. [the victim] was on the sofa and he dragged her off the sofa by the hair and dragged her across the floor.

“She was screaming and then Doug put his weight on her. He had a knee on her chest and he grabbed her head and slammed it three or four times on the floor.

“I could hear the thud of her head on the floor.”

Mr Nicholas said when the episode was over there was “complete silence” until another member of staff walked in, which “broke the ice and we started talking”.

He also alleged Stevens had told another resident to remove her false teeth so he could perform a sexual act on her, and that he had made barking noises outside the bedroom of a resident who was scared of dogs, and also made noises of a chainsaw and used the n-word.

On another occasion he claimed to have witnessed Anthony Thomas shouting at another vulnerable resident, and grabbed him by the shoulders and got him on the ground and put his thumb into his throat.

“[The victim] started turning red and was screaming and getting frantic, telling him to get off.”

The alleged incident was said to have lasted 10 seconds.

Nicola Powell, for Stevens, asked Mr Nicholas if having witnessed the incident he had not thought to go and report it.

Mr Nicholas replied he had raised concerns on previous occasions but he and another colleague “were made to feel like the bad guys”.

“We were bitched about behind our backs. We would be put on the register for the most difficult [residents],” he said. “We were made to feel punished.

“I just felt it was not a place you could safely raise a complaint.”

Ms Powell pointed out Mr Nicholas had returned to work at the home having briefly left to work at another facility in Cardiff, “even though it was an horrific care home”.

She asked Mr Nicholas about an incident in which he had been briefly suspended from his post following an allegation from a resident, and was later reinstated with no further action against him after an investigation.

“It was only at the end of the interview with police you made your claims. Are you trying to deflect attention away from you?” asked Ms Powell.

“No, I had the paperwork, I had followed the protocol and I had no reason to deflect from myself,” said Mr Nicholas.

John Hipkin, for Anthony Thomas, told the court Mr Nicholas had written in his resignation letter of September 2016 that he had been “proud to be part of the team”.

“Why were you not shouting to [the company] ‘sort this out’?” he asked.

Mr Nicholas said he did not know, prompting Mr Hipkin to ask: “What do you mean you do not know? You were exposing residents to harm. This is horrendous and you just leave, or is it what you have told the jury is a complete load of nonsense?”

“Me leaving has nothing to do with the allegation,” Mr Nicholas replied.

Mr Hipkin also highlighted what Mr Nicholas had written when applying to return to the home, having briefly left.

“You said you regretted leaving it. You describe the company that puts up with residents being abused as excellent. It is a total lie, everything you have told the jury.”

Douglas Stephens, of Rhosyderi, Tumble, Llanelli; Anthony John Thomas, of Briar Dene, Sketty, Swansea; and Tony Rowlands, of Jenkins Road, Neath, deny all the charges against them.

The trial continues.