Care home worker jailed for six months after abuse

A CARE worker who physically and verbally abused a woman with learning difficulties has been jailed for six months.

Shaun Dean Hewitt, aged 52, was the senior member of staff on duty in a home run by Purbeck Care at East Stoke near Wool when he became ‘enraged’ by a resident and dragged her by the ankles before launching into a verbal ‘tirade’, Dorchester Crown Court was told.

Hewitt, of Knowle Wood Knap, Wool, appeared in court to be sentenced after admitting a charge of ill treatment or neglect of a person who lacks capacity.

Carolyn Branford-Wood, prosecuting, said Hewitt, pictured below, who had been employed by Purbeck Care since 2010 and had worked in the care industry for around five years, was the senior of three staff on night shift duty at Harmony House on June 2 last year.

She said one of the nine residents, a 30-year-old woman with learning difficulties, was refusing to go to bed and lay down in the hallway.

Miss Branford-Wood said: “She was neither abusive nor nasty but was simply refusing to go to bed.”

She said Hewitt began by kicking a space hopper that had been under the stairs lightly against the woman to encourage her to go to bed.

Miss Branford-Wood said Hewitt’s colleagues looked on as he ‘became more abusive towards her’ and grabbed hold of her by the ankles and began dragging her towards the bedroom.

Another staff member helped Hewitt carry the resident up the stairs and when she was outside her bedroom the court was told the defendant dragged her inside.

Miss Branford-Wood said she later came back downstairs, much to Hewitt’s anger.

Miss Branford-Wood said: “He began a tirade of abuse, picking on her, calling her names and making derogatory comments to her.”

She said the comments, some of which were recorded on a colleague’s mobile phone, included calling her ‘horrible’ and an ‘oxygen thief’.

The night’s events were later reported by Hewitt’s colleagues and an investigation was launched that led to Hewitt’s arrest.

Philip Wakeham, mitigating, said Hewitt had been inspired to get into the care industry after caring for his Down’s Syndrome son.

He said his client had been going through marriage difficulties at the time of the offence and family duties meant he had not been sleeping.

A spokesman for Purbeck Care said they did not wish to comment on the case.

As he sentenced Hewitt to six months in prison, Judge Roger Jarvis described him as ‘thoughtless and heartless’ before claiming his behaviour risked undermining the efforts of others in the care industry. The judge said: “What I have heard is very troubling indeed.

“This disadvantaged adult was physically abused by you.

“As bad as this is the way that you spoke to her, you verbally abused her, you were cruel to her, it was thoughtless and heartless unkindness that you demonstrated to her and it was a serious breach of trust.”

He added: “What you have done of course will cause distress not only to your victim but to others who work in the same profession as you did, as they will undoubtedly feel that your actions undermine the good work that they do.”

A Dorset charity supporting people with learning disabilities said it is ‘deeply shocked’ by the news of Hewitt’s behaviour towards someone in his care.

A spokesman for Dorset People First said that it was ‘distressing’ to hear of the latest incident on the back of the abuse that was exposed at Winterbourne View in Bristol in 2011.

They said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the news that this abuse has occurred at Purbeck Care. “Some of our members live there. “It distresses us to think that even after the Winterbourne View scandal, people with learning disabilities are not always safe in their own homes.” Kerry Martin, from People First’s Forum added: “It’s disgusting. “People should not be living in big residential homes all together. “This is why People First need to keep doing our work, campaigning and training people about rights and being safe.

“We hope that all the people who live and work at Purbeck Care are getting the support they need to deal with this dreadful situation.”