A SENIOR carer neglected four residents at a care home, who were suffering with dementia, a court heard.

Mark Taylor, 57, is accused of six counts of ill treatment, including slapping one of them on the bottom, at Haslingden Lodge in Haslingden.

The court was told Taylor, of Stockbridge Road, Padiham, behaved ‘inappropriately’ and was sometimes ‘cruel’ towards patients.

The allegations came to light when care worker, Dionne Ashworth, wrote to management at the Lancaster Avenue home telling them about ‘abusive behaviour’ she had seen towards Mary Burke, who was known as Olive.

Charlotte Kenny, prosecuting, said when the defendant and Miss Ashworth were helping Mrs Burke to the toilet, Taylor slapped her on the bottom twice and told her to stand up straight as they transferred her from her wheelchair.

Miss Kenny told a Burnley Crown Court jury yesterday on the first day of a trial: “The treatment of Olive by the defendant was callous and unnecessary and the firm slapping on the bottom amounted to ill treatment.”

Taylor is then alleged to have allowed Fred Gregory to walk around for 30 minutes with nothing on his bottom half. The court was told when another care worker found Mr Gregory, he had soiled himself.

It is also alleged that while putting Mrs Burke to bed, Taylor grabbed her under the left arm and, instead of supporting her, ‘threw’ her on to the bed with such force she almost hit her head.

Miss Kenny said: “This was not an accident, but again it was a consequence of the defendant’s aggressive and callous attitude towards those in his care.”

The defendant is also accused of grabbing Margaret Boothman by the wrists and shaking them while singing loudly in her face. The court heard that even when the resident tried to bite Taylor, he still did not let go.

Ann Coombe, was reportedly grabbed from behind and held in a ‘lock position’ before being marched down a corridor by the defendant when she began hitting out at another member of staff, the court heard.

This is alleged to have happened twice.

Miss Kenny told the jury: “The prosecution say Mr Taylor was in a position of trust and repeatedly abused that trust by ill treating or neglecting those vulnerable people.

“He was reported by two fellow carers to the management of the care home for conduct which struck them as being aggressive and at times cruel and lacking any form of respect for the individuals concerned.”

UPDATE