A home caregiver has been sentenced to three months in jail for verbally abusing an 81-year-old dementia patient after drinking a bottle of vodka on her first day of employment.
Louise Harris, 42, was found to have ill-treated Elizabeth Shipton, calling her a “f****** horrible cow” and expressing a wish for her to “f****** die in your sleep.” During the tirade, Harris also demanded to know where Mrs. Shipton kept her money, leading to a dropped charge of attempted robbery.
Video footage from Mrs. Shipton's bedroom captured Harris's aggressive behavior. At one point, Harris was on the floor next to the patient's bed, shouting about money. When Mrs. Shipton protested that Harris was hurting her, the caregiver responded, “I don’t care, where’s your money?” In other clips, Harris screamed in the patient's face and demanded she “sleep now.”
According to her daughter, Tracy, Mrs. Shipton was “horrifically traumatized” by the incident, which occurred in February. Mrs. Shipton had recently returned home from a hospital stay for sepsis and was grieving the recent death of her husband. Harris, a former neighbor and recovering alcoholic, had been hired through a Facebook advertisement seeking temporary care.
Swansea Crown Court heard that Harris had been a carer since she was 18 and had received training in dementia care, manual handling, and incontinence. Her lawyer stated that Harris was remorseful and that her actions were a result of finding the vodka in the home. Judge Huw Rees described Harris's behavior as showing “callous disregard” for Mrs. Shipton's welfare.
Tracy Shipton discovered the abuse by checking her mother's security camera footage. She contacted the police, who reportedly had to force entry into the home and found Harris on the floor. The family is planning to appeal the sentence, arguing it is too lenient. Tracy Shipton expressed concern that sentencing guidelines may have limited the judge's ability to impose a harsher penalty.
As a result of the incident, Mrs. Shipton has developed vivid flashbacks and is now on sedatives. She is also reluctant to wear her emergency lifeline device, fearing that pressing it will lead to similar traumatic events. The family has since installed a new front door with glass to allow her to see who is approaching. Tracy Shipton advocated for cameras to be installed in all homes receiving care services.
Harris pleaded guilty to ill-treatment by a care worker and criminal damage. She will serve approximately 40 percent of her three-month sentence in custody.