Gwynedd man guilty of care home assault

A 56-year-old man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting an 88-year-old resident of a care home. Reginald Wynne Griffiths, of Tywyn, Gwynedd, who denied the charge, was found guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Judge Merfyn Hughes QC said it was “very regrettable” Griffiths was left unsupervised at the council-run home.

Gwynedd council said safety procedures had been reviewed. He was bailed to 19 November for a pre-sentence report.

Prosecutor Kim Halsall said the victim had died since the assault had taken place.

She had progressive dementia and poor hearing, and was “extremely vulnerable”, the court was told.

Griffiths told the jury that he had never touched the woman although the court was told that three care assistants had seen what had happened.

He had been visiting someone else at the home at the time.

The court also heard that in 2006 there had been an investigation into an allegation of an indecent assault on another resident.

Three visitors including Griffiths were all potential suspects but no charges were brought.

A Gwynedd council spokesman said after the case: “The council has procedures in place to ensure, as much as is reasonably possible, the safety of all council care home residents.

“These include the monitoring of visitors when they enter our residential homes.

“In accordance with the council’s protection of vulnerable adults policy, this incident was investigated by a multi-agency team which included social services and North Wales Police, and safety procedures at the home were thoroughly reviewed.

“The council is satisfied that it has appropriate measures in place to safeguard residents.”