South Yorkshire care home abuse boss walks free from court

SOUTH Yorkshire care home boss Jane Harris has walked free from court after a judge suspended her jail sentence for abusing the patients she was paid to look after.

But the judge who passed sentence has warned her he expects her to lose her job in nursing over her conviction.

A jury at Doncaster Crown Court found Harris guilty of six counts of ill-treating three residents at the Travis Gardens care home in Hexthorpe for the severely learning disabled, when she was manager there during the summer of 2007. She was cleared of a seventh allegation.

For each count of abuse, she was handed a six month prison sentence, running concurrently and suspended for 18 months.

At Leeds Crown Court, Harris, of Priory Close, Conisbrough, aged 45, was also handed a 12 month supervision order and ordered to complete 150 hours’ unpaid work in the community.

Sentencing, Recorder Simon Jackson QC said: “It is a great shame that you, a respected manager of an NHS care home, should find yourself convicted of criminal offences.

“These offences were committed against some of the most vulnerable people in our society, people who lacked the capacity to look after themselves and deserved your protection and care.

“You just couldn’t cope with one resident who you ill treated and abused and, in doing so, ill treated another person who you forced to slap her. In all probability as a result of your convictions you will lose your job in nursing.”

The court had heard Harris viciously grabbed a patient’s arm, forcing them to smack a fellow patient as a punishment for hair pulling.

Prosecutor Kath Goddard had told the court Harris had seen one resident having her hair pulled.

She said: “Having separated them she grabbed hold of the arm of the other woman and used it as a weapon and brought it down on the head of the first woman, effecting some sort of punishment, and this was distressing to both women.”

The woman whose arm was used to hit the other woman on the head at least six times is unable to speak but was heard to be screaming in distress.

Despite her behaviour, the manager’s behaviour was not reported by staff because they were too terrified of her, the court had heard. Harris denied all the charges against her and claimed the allegations had been made up by colleagues.

Det Insp Natalia Shaw, who led the investigation, paid tribute to the staff at the home who had given evidence at the trial.

She said: “I’m delighted this has been a strong message to those who care for the most vulnerable in our community.

“We have only been able to secure this conviction and stop this behaviour through the courage of the members of staff who witnessed this, reported it, and then gave evidence at the trial. If it wasn’t for their courage, Harris could still be offending.”

THE owners of the learning disability resource centre and respite care home at 84 and 86 Travis Gardens have asked The Star to point out the above story refers to another care service, not in any way connected with them.