CARE WORKER MARIA JACKSON GETS COMMUNITY ORDER FOR ELDERLY ABUSE
A care worker named Maria Jackson has been sentenced after being caught on covert footage 'drag lifting' a frail 85-year-old woman in a Halifax care home.The footage, shown to a judge at Bradford Crown Court, revealed the distressing procedure where Jackson was seen moving the resident without following proper lifting procedures, which can be unsafe and cause injury.
Jackson, 41, from Lane Ends Terrace, Hipperholme, admitted to common assault and received an 18-month community order along with 180 hours of unpaid community work.
The judge, Richard Mansell QC, described the incident as a 'gross failure' to care properly and said the actions amounted to 'grossly negligent behaviour,' which he rejected as being non-wilful.
The court highlighted that the care involved was lazy and sloppy, failing to follow the proper procedures despite Jackson's acknowledgment that her actions were wrong.
The judge emphasized that if proper care had been taken, it would have involved careful handling over a period of time, respecting the dignity and rights of the resident.
Although Jackson had continued working in the care sector during the pandemic, her misconduct was met with strong condemnation, and she expressed remorse.
The court noted that her actions, while negligent, did not amount to deliberate ill-treatment but were a serious breach of trust and professional standards.
