Carer caught on video slapping and abusing dementia sufferer

'We only put the camera in because we thought she was being lazy. I didn’t expect to see that', says Gina Owen

A woman who was caught on camera repeatedly hitting an elderly woman who suffers from dementia has been let off with a police caution.

Stacey George, 46, was also filmed telling 78-year-old Sabina Marsden, “God you stink”, and snatching a blanket from her knee.

Her daughter Gina Owen watched the abuse in real time as it was live-streamed to her mobile phone.

Ms Owen, 46, who works in a nearby electrical shop, is seen on the video entering the room to comfort her mother while ordering George to leave.

The family took the video to the police but George was handed just a caution after she admitted assaulting Ms Marsden on 13 June last year.

Yesterday, Ms Marsden’s family released the video of the attack to warn other families about George in case she is continuing to work as a carer.

Ms Owen said: “Within 10 minutes of my sister Mandy leaving the house I was watching it on my phone and she slapped my mum four or five times.

“We only put the camera in because we thought she was being lazy. I didn’t expect to see that, I was shocked. I felt sick.

“When I came into the house to see her, I came in so calm and just said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m going to have to let you leave because I caught you slapping my mum on the camera’.

“She asked how long it had been there and I said 20 minutes, half-an-hour.

“She looked at my mum, carried on eating her yoghurt and said, ‘I’m sorry, what do you want me to do?’ We took the video to the police and expected her to be charged but she got off with a caution.

“If I hit her that day I would have been a lot worse off than her. I’m not happy she got a caution because mum was just sat there not doing anything."

Ms Marsden, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, suffers from dementia as well as diabetes, and is partially-sighted.

Her family hid the camera in a light fitting and the footage could be accessed via mobile phone.

George worked as Ms Marsden’s carer for Kettering-based Mega Care for almost two years.

The family brought in carers after the death of their father, and Ms Marsden’s husband of 47 years.

Mega Care’s chief operating officer Winner Lawal said George has since left the company.

He said: “We are appalled and disgusted by the actions of this ex-staff member.

“Of the 22 months that we cared for Sabina, this same staff member provided more than 96 per cent of the total visits. Sabina was the only service user cared for by this member of staff.”

Northamptonshire Police said they would meet the family to discuss their decision not to pursue further charges against George.

A force spokesman said: “We can confirm that we investigated reports of an assault in Seagrave Street, Kettering, which took place on 13 June, 2017.

“After a thorough investigation and a review of all the evidence, a 46-year-old woman was issued with a police caution.

“Safeguarding vulnerable people is a high priority for the force.”

Lauren Kennedy, of Seatons Solicitors in Corby, who act for Ms Marsden and her family, said: “Sadly, cases involving the elderly and the vulnerable as victims of abuse and mistreatment are becoming increasingly common and it has never been more important for families of those receiving care to keep a close eye on their loved ones.

“Ms Marsden’s family felt let down not only by Mega Care to whom they entrusted their mother’s care, but also the criminal justice system which saw the offender being issued with just a caution.”

SWNS