Zimbabwean care worker narrowly escapes UK prison

DISGRACED care worker Jackie Ndoro narrowly escaped going to prison on Friday after neglecting an elderly resident in a care home who was left on the floor for an hour when he collapsed.

Eighty-six year old Albert Riches, who suffered from dementia and Alzheimer's, was prone to falling after suffering mini strokes and having an operation for a broken leg.

After falling over, he called for help, but was ignored. A colleague of Miss Ndoro even tapped his leg and then swept around his body. Then when Ndoro appeared on the scene she and the other woman pulled him up by the scruff of the neck and "dumped him on a wheelchair."

Ndoro 38, of Bodmin Road, Luton, appeared for sentence today at Luton crown court where earlier this summer she was found guilty of a charge of neglect of a person who lacks of capacity.

The court heard the offence took place on the night of 22 June 2011.

During the trial and today at the sentencing, Judge Barbara Mensah was told the other care worker who had so callously ignored Mr Riches that night is still being sought by Bedfordshire Police after failing to answer her bail and absconding.

Mr Riches has since died. At the trial prosecutor Isabel Delamare said the elderly man was heard to say: "I am sorry" as the women were pulling him up. She said the two workers should have used a hoist to lift Mr Riches into the chair, but it was in another room and they could not be bothered to fetch it.

Ms Delamere said that Ndoro and her colleague were already under suspicion by the manager of The Limes Home in the High Street, Henlow, Beds because of concerns he had about their work.

As a result a CCTV camera was installed to keep an eye on the pair.

The prosecutor went on: "Mr Riches had become prone to falling over following mini strokes. He was elderly and frail and in need of constant care and attention. He lacked capability. He was no longer capable of looking after himself."

The recording showed Mr Riches walking round and round the lounge before falling on the floor. He was heard to say "Help me" and groan. He was unable to right himself.

The other woman did nothing to help him and tapped his leg. She swept her broom around him before the women pulled him into the wheelchair.

The prosecutor continued: "The CCTV showed Ndoro sitting down at 1am. She sat in a chair and did some paperwork. Her feet were up and she was sleeping under a blanket between 1am and 5am."

She should have been carrying out two hourly checks on the 23 residents, several of whom had dementia.

As a result both women were dismissed for gross misconduct and the local authority and police were informed.

Giving evidence, Ndoro admitted she fell asleep during her shift, but denied she neglected Mr Riches.

She told the jury one of the behaviour traits of the resident was that he would put himself on the floor. "I knew he was vulnerable but I didn't think he had fallen, I made an assumption that he put himself on the floor and I should not have made that assumption. But I did care that's why I got the wheelchair."

Passing sentence today Judge Barbara Mensah who had presided over the trial told Ndoro it had been her job to care for Mr Riches that night, not to neglect him.

She said he was vulnerable and clearly distressed as he lay on the floor unable to get help.

The judge said it was the lack of concern for his plight as shown by the two women on the CCTV footage that was "so shocking".

The judge said that for a while the pair had engaged in a conversation as they stood around him and there was no rush to assist him.

She said the way the elderly man had been pulled up had been in an undignified and humiliating way.

The court was told that by her conviction Ndoro will be automatically barred from working with vulnerable adults.

She was given a four month prison sentence which was suspended for 12 months. She was also placed on supervision for 6 months and was told she must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.