BARNSLEY CARE HOME ABUSE SHOCK: MOTHER AND DAUGHTER CARERS JAILED FOR HUMILIATING PHOTOS
A mother and daughter sacked from their roles as carers for taking “humiliating” pictures of residents have been named and shamed for the first time after the jilted ex who shared them on Facebook was jailed.Hayley Newton and her mum Diane Thelwell were involved in a South Yorkshire Police investigation into neglect and abuse at the Cherry Trees care home in Barnsley in June last year.
Police stated there had not been enough evidence to bring a prosecution and the case was dropped.
Their involvement was uncovered when Ms Newton’s boyfriend, Jamie Phillips, posted the photos in revenge after being dumped.
The images included a distressing photo of 83-year-old Shirley Duffy turned upside down in her chair, left visibly distressed.
Her granddaughter said the family is still dealing with the consequences of her abuse and neglect.
The court heard that Ms Newton, who had worked as a carer for four years, and Ms Thelwell took the pictures, which they shared in their own messages.
When the photos were reported, they approached their boss at Cherry Trees and were dismissed.
Judge Rachael Harrison described the photographs as “humiliating” and criticized Phillips for not going to the authorities.
Phillips, of Barnsley, admitted to causing a computer to perform a function with intent to gain unauthorized access and pleaded guilty to a separate burglary from 2018, resulting in a 19-month prison sentence.