THIRTEEN CONVICTED OVER DEVON CARE HOME ABUSE – SYSTEMIC AND CRUEL TREATMENT EXPOSED
Thirteen people were convicted after an inquiry into organized and systemic abuse at two care homes for adults with learning disabilities.Residents at Vielstone near Bideford in Devon were routinely punished by being held in empty rooms without food, heating, or a toilet.
Staff imprisoned them overnight during 2010 and 2011, creating an abusive culture.
Jolyon Marshall, the manager, was jailed for 28 months.
Twelve others, including staff members and Marshall's wife Victoria Cobbett, were convicted after trials at Bristol Crown Court.
Residents were held in rooms known as the “garden room” or the “quiet room”, often more than 1,000 times, with no furniture or TV for hours.
The court described the treatment as organized and systemic abuse of vulnerable people, with some residents imprisoned against their will.
The timeline shows the care home operations from 1993, closure in 2012, and sentencing in 2016.
The sentences included jail terms, suspended sentences, and conditional discharges for various staff.
Judge William Hart condemned the conduct, stating the control and power were with Marshall, and the care became a lack of care in the community.
The article emphasizes the importance of vigilance to protect vulnerable individuals from such cruelty.
