Overweight care home worker sprayed deodorant in elderly woman’s face and SAT on another

A care home worker sprayed deodorant in an elderly woman’s face as she tormented vulnerable residents with physical and verbal abuse.

Fiona Salmon sat on one woman’s legs to stop her getting out of bed and rubbed another woman’s face so hard she made her nose bleed.

Salmon, 40, was found guilty of cruelty towards seven pensioners at Cornwallis Care Services’ nursing home in St. Ives, Cornwall between June 2011 and January 2012.

A jury took just two-and-a-half hours to find her guilty on all seven charges of ill-treating or neglecting residents suffering from insufficient mental capacity.

Phillip Lee, prosecuting, told Truro Crown Court the offences varied from pinching and slapping to rough handling.

He said Salmon also called residents names such as “dirty bitch” and told them their breath stank of dog mess.

Salmon, from Camborne, Cornwall, listened in the dock as colleague Joanna Clarke gave evidence against her.

Miss Clarke told the court: “One morning Fiona washed a resident’s face with a flannel so hard that it caused a nosebleed.

“I also saw her squeezing talcum powder into a woman’s face and she called her a grubby b***h.

“While helping another patient she flung her on her bed so hard she hit her head on a metal railing, making her cry.

“She also pinched a patient’s upper arm and sprayed deodorant in her face.”

Miss Clarke added: “Her behaviour was humiliating and there was no compassion.

“She spoke to them disrespectfully; as if they were not worth anything and as if they were an inconvenience.”

Miss Clarke admitted to the court that she didn’t tell anyone of the abuse because she feared no-one would believe her before eventually telling a friend’s mother who told the police.

Another colleague, Stephanie Fielding, spoke from behind a screen to describe the horrors that Salmon put the elderly residents through over the seven month period.

She revealed how Salmon once dug her nails into a patients skin, drawing blood.

She added: “One night we were putting a patient on her bed but she did not want to stay. Fiona decided to sit on her legs to force her.

“She cried out and shouted at Fiona to get off as she was hurting her but she just laughed and carried on for a couple of minutes until I told her to get off.

“Fiona also swore and told a patient her breath smelt like dog mess. The patient said she was sorry.

“While I was giving two male residents personal care Fiona told me to use my tongue to suck their private parts clean.”

Salmon, who denies seven charges of ill-treating or neglecting residents suffering from insufficient mental capacity listened as another colleague described her as “cruel”.

Jo Martin, defending, argued Miss Clarke was jealous of Salmon because she had been offered day shifts.

She also said Miss Fielding instigated the accusations because she fell out with Salmon over a personal matter.

The trial continues.