Care home boss ‘threw patient’ – court hears

A manager at an Abergavenny care home allegedly yanked a patient by the hair and threw another man onto his bed, a court heard.

Howard Griffiths, 53, of Wordsworth Close, Ebbw Vale, is alleged to have treated patients so badly, one staff member resigned.

Griffiths was night manager at the Rozelle Care Home, Abergavenny, and is on trial at Newport Crown Court.

He denies ten charges of ill-treating a person without capacity which relate to elderly people in his care, who were suffering from conditions such alzheimers, dementia and schizophrenia, between April 2007 and August 2009.

Care assistant Anna Salamonska described to the jury how Griffiths grabbed 81-year-old alzheimers suffer Dennis Bailey by the chest and threw him three feet on to his bed.

When she confronted him about his behaviour she said “he just laughed”, adding: “I left because I wasn’t happy with the way it was run, how Howard acted.”

Carer Kim Ruck described a situation where 80-year-old alzheimers sufferer Vera Knowles was kicking out as she attempted to shower her.

She said: “Howard just grabbed the top of her hair, yanking her back and told her to stop. I was shocked, I’ve done caring for 13 years and have never seen anything like it.”

Defence barrister Patrick Harrington described Mrs Knowles as “violent”, adding that Griffiths was very good at his job and could get patients to stop misbehaving.

Miss Ruck responded: “There are boundaries”, “You can’t make them.”

Another carer, Nicola Thomas, described how Griffiths lifted 85-year-old dementia suffer Derek Gregory “by the scruff” to put him in a wheelchair.

She said: “It left a bruise on his chest. I also saw him throw David Arteton into a chair.”

The home’s cook Pamela Date described Griffiths as “very aggressive” towards patients.

She said he often sweared at them and once when she confronted him about pushing an elderly lady into a chair he said it was because “she got on my nerves”.

Proceeding.