Nurse Jailed For Abuse Of Care Home Patients

A nurse was jailed for 15 months yesterday and now faces deportation after tormenting dementia sufferers at a care home. Jefferey Ednalan, 34, was convicted of a catalogue of abuse including stuffing a deodorant can in the mouth of a 95-year-old man to stop him shouting and two counts of indecent assault.

The Filipino handled an 86-year-old woman’s naked breasts and also left seven residents in soiled incontinence pads all day to “save time”. Ednalan denied all of the charges at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and insisted his fellow workers at the Colinton Care Home had made up the allegations out of jealousy. In his evidence, Ednalan rejected allegations that he had terrorised both staff and residents over a five-month period.

However, a jury did not accept his version of events and found the father of one guilty of five of the eight charges against him.

Sheriff Mhairi Stephen said: “Your cruelty exploited a special relationship of trust and care between nurse and the people in their care. The victims form the most vulnerable sector of society. These are people who don’t know or remember events, who can register fear and react but can do nothing about it.”

Ednalan, who has been in the UK since 1995, was found not guilty on one indecent assault charge, while two other counts of assault were not proven. He has been recommended for deportation. He was dismissed from his job at the care home last May after the police investigation into his conduct.

All of the victims suffered from dementia at the time of the attacks and none was fit enough to give evidence during the trial. Two of the victims have died since Ednalan, of Cowan Road, Edinburgh, was charged by police in April last year.

Ernesto An, 37, a Filipino care assistant, told the jury that Ednalan began to believe he was “untouchable” after being promoted. Mr An said: “He played with the residents – it became an amusement for him.” Mr An told how Ednalan struck a 95-year-old man on the back of a head with a towel. When the frantic man continued to shout, Ednalan stuffed a deodorant can in his mouth, then replaced it with five cleaning wipes.

David Nicholson, acting for Ednalan, insisted there was no sexual motive to his assaults. However, the court disagreed and placed Ednalan on the sex offenders’ register.

Liz Duncan, of Help the Aged Scotland, said: “The sentence sends a clear message that this kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable. We should also raise questions about how people like this come to work with vulnerable adults. The public want to know they are getting the best possible care and treatment, but we know the reports of abuse are the tip of the iceberg. Many more cases go unreported.”

The owners of Colinton Care Home, in Spylaw Road, also welcomed the jail term. A spokesman for Four Seasons Health Care said: “The verdict of the court and the sentence, demonstrates the abuse of elderly and vulnerable people will not be tolerated.”