Care worker dragged ‘screaming’ patient into room for dropping sandwich

A senior care worker has taken to the witness box at crown court to deny an allegation that he grabbed a vulnerable patient by the scruff of her clothing and dragged her into her bedroom as she screamed.

John Riddell-Turner, aged 51, was working at Maesglas Community Support Unit in Gendros, Swansea, at the time the alleged incident is said to have occurred on July 11, 2011.

Riddell-Turner, of Merlin Crescent, Townhill, was a senior care officer at the unit and the woman’s key worker at the time of the alleged offence.

He denies one count of the ill treatment of a person who lacks capacity.

As the defence case was heard, Riddell-Turner demonstrated on a court usher at Swansea Crown Court how he placed one of his hands on the woman’s shoulder and the other under his wrist to take her to the exit of the room she was in.

He said that the action was a gentle one and that the woman went to her bedroom on her own volition.

Describing what preceded this, Riddell-Turner told the court that the woman, who has Downs Syndrome and was known to throw to food on occasion, had picked up a plate (of sandwiches) and threw it to the ground.

He described a worker, Susan Grenfell, who was at that time inexperienced, as “shell-shocked”.

Riddell-Turner added that he was more concerned that the woman may follow up the throwing with a physical attack and so he approached her and said words of the effect of “Right, go to your room for a minute”.

Patrick Griffiths, prosecuting, suggested to Riddell-Turner that, on the occasion in question, the defendant had lost his temper and physically took hold of the woman, grabbing her and marching her out of the room.

“It is not true,” replied Riddell-Turner.

The court had also heard that the woman in question is not considered to have capacity under the Capacity Act.

Earlier in the day Ms Grenfell gave evidence and told the court she works as a care officer for the local authority and had done two shifts at Maesglas as part of that role – one the day of the alleged offence and one the day before.

Ms Grenfell said on the day in question she took a hot meal to the woman in question and the woman asked for sandwiches.

She said Riddell-Turner said she could make the woman a sandwich which she did.

Ms Grenfell said, when she took the sandwich through in a bowl, the woman caught her hands with the bowl and it fell but there was no mess caused.

She then told the court that she saw

Riddell-Turner come into the lounge, walk towards the woman and “grab her by the scruff of her clothes”.

“He dragged her into her bedroom,” said Ms Grenfell.

She added that the woman was screaming and had her arm out “as if to say ‘help me’” said Ms Grenfell.

“That is what I took it as,” she added.

Ms Grenfell told the court that, before

Riddell-Turner allegedly grabbed the woman, he said: “That’s it”.

She said she “could not believe what I saw” and added that she was upset by the alleged incident.

The court heard that the woman then returned from her bedroom and sat back down on the sofa.

Ms Grenfell said she later told Riddell-Turner that she was not happy with what she said she saw and he is said to have replied: “I do not know what you are talking about”.

The court heard that Ms Grenfell went home early that day as she said she was “so upset” by what she saw and that she made her own personal notes about the alleged incident that night.

Ieuan Rees, defending fo rRiddell-Turner, asked whether she knew that the care plan for the woman was that she should be removed from the situation if an incident occurred (such as if she threw food).

Ms Grenfell said she could not remember the care plan but added that she was complaining that the woman was dragged.

“There is a difference to being escorted and being dragged,” she told the court.

Under questioning from Mr Rees, Gillian Roberts, who is a residential care officer at Maesglas Community Support Unit, told the court that, as a colleague, Riddell-Turner was “a very compassionate, professional and hard-working man”.

The court also heard evidence from DC Mark Phillips, the officer in the case, about Riddell-Turner’s arrest on July 28, 2011 on suspicion of the ill-treatment of a vulnerable adult.

He said that, after being cautioned, Riddell-Turner, said: “I do not know what to say”.

In police interview, Riddell-Turner said that on the day of the alleged offence he had just come back from three days off.

He explained to police that the woman in question is given food in the lounge as “she is quite disruptive in her behaviour and has a habit of lashing out at people”.

The court heard he told police he placed his hand “lightly” on her right shoulder and hiss other hand underneath her wrist and said for her to come to her room which was to the right of the lounge.

“There was no force used whatsoever,” said Riddell-Turner in his police interview.

The court heard that Riddell-Turner had been told to leave the Maesglas building the day of the alleged incident after a manager had been spoken to.

The court heard he had started to cry after police put to him the allegation that he had picked the woman up by the collar and “frogmarched” her out.

He told police he “categorically denied it and found it insulting”.

The trial continues.