Care home staff 'routinely imprisoned vulnerable adults,' court told
'Arrogant' managers accused of being responsible for the 'organised and systematic abuse' of disabled residents at homes in Devon in 2010 and 2011
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
An abusive culture developed at two care homes where staff routinely imprisoned disabled adults in empty rooms to punish or control them, a court heard. Vulnerable residents were allegedly left alone for hours on end with little food or water by “arrogant” managers at the care homes in Devon.
They are accused of being responsible for the “organised and systematic abuse” of disabled residents at the Veilstone home in Bideford and Gatooma home in Holsworthy in 2010 and 2011.
The managing director of Atlas Project Team Ltd and four of his staff are accused of a string of offences against seven residents – four men and three women – known by their initials of AF, AC, BP, LO, JM, HI and WB.
Paul Hewitt, 70, and employees Lee Farrant, 30, James Lawson, 41, Julie Barlow, 51, and Aaron Jones, 33, all of Devon, deny the charges against them.
Andrew Langdon QC, for the prosecution, described to the jury at Bristol Crown Court what they would have seen had they looked through a window into the homes.
“There is quite a high chance you would have seen one of the residents alone in an empty room – a room with no features, no clock, no heating, no TV or radio, no bathroom facilities,” he said.
“In one house the room had an armchair and in the other house no furniture at all.
“Both rooms were smartly decorated but essentially empty, save for one resident inside with apparently nothing to do.
“If you watched long enough – and you may have waited several hours or overnight sometimes – you may have seen eventually someone lead them out by either unlocking a door or opening it, giving permission for them to leave, letting them rejoin the residents of the house.
“During that period of time you would have been unlikely to have seen anyone bring them food or drink or anything much of comfort.
“The prosecution say that each of them was effectively imprisoned in that room against their will and having seen that by peering through the window at either of those two homes you would have caught a glimpse of a much wider practice.
“It was not a one-off but organised and systematic abuse of people with learning disabilities.”
Mr Hewitt was described as a “respected figure” who was a qualified psychiatric nurse and behavioural therapist. At the time he ran a total of seven care homes in Devon and Berkshire. They have since closed and Atlas has gone into administration.
His four co-defendants were employed as care workers “under the guidance and direction of senior staff”.
Mr Hewitt denies charges of conspiracy to detain and imprison falsely and failure to discharge a duty. Mr Lawson denies eight charges of false imprisonment, Mr Farrant denies six charges of false imprisonment and Mr Jones and Ms Barlow deny three charges each of false imprisonment.
The trial continues.
PA