Carers start cruelty trial at Hull Crown court

Two women have gone on trial accused of the ill-treatment and neglect of elderly residents in a care home. Kathryn Mary Broadley, 59, and Tina Taylor, 53, are alleged to have ill-treated five elderly women aged between 77 and 90 at Sycamore House Care Home, in Wawne Road, Bransholme.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between April and November 2007, when they both worked at the home as carers.

Mrs Broadley, of Kinloss Garth, Branshome, is charged with four counts of ill-treating residents and two counts of neglect and Mrs Taylor, of Camerton Grove, east Hull, is charged with three counts of ill-treatment.

Prosecutor Mark McKone told the jury at Hull Crown court: “Three other care workers were sufficiently concerned about the way in which these two defendants treated residents and complained to the management.
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“The prosecution say these two defendants went well beyond being firm, particularly on the night shift, when there would usually only be two carers and no management.

“We say the two defendants would be aggressive and cruel, they would be rough when it came to undressing them and assisting them with their toilet activities, sufficient to amount to ill-treatment by both defendants.”

It is alleged Mrs Broadley, a carer for more than 10 years, would wake residents at 5am against their will, pull the bed covers off them and drag them out of bed by their legs.

It is also alleged she washed residents with cold flannels and refused to change residents who had soiled themselves.

She is also accused of banging the heads of two residents against walls.

Both Mrs Taylor and Mrs Broadley are said to have referred to an 87-year-old resident as a “rottweiler” and called her “stupid” to her face.

Mr McKone added: “Whilst Mrs Taylor was pleasant to fellow workers, she was horrid to residents.

“She told witness Coleen Parker how she liked to sing to Florence Sanderson to wind her up and described her as a ‘nasty piece of work’.

“Mrs Parker noticed how Florence was very distressed when Mrs Taylor came into the room.”

Mrs Taylor is accused of incorrectly hoisting a resident and causing her to cry out in pain.

The care home looks after 36 elderly residents who suffer from Alzheimers disease, dementia and memory loss.

The trial continues.