The family of an elderly dementia patient are outraged after a carer who was caught on camera repeatedly smacking their mum got let off – which a police caution.
Stacey George, 46, was also filmed telling 78-year-old Sabina Marsden, “God you stink” and snatching a blanket from her knee leaving her half-naked and sobbing.
Her daughter Gina Owen watched the shocking abuse in real time as it was live-streamed to her mobile phone.
The Italian-born grandmother-of-two and widow can be heard saying “Mamma Mia” while George hits her five times while sitting on the sofa.
Gina, 46, who works in a nearby electrical shop, is seen on the video bursting into the room to comfort her tearful mum while ordering George to leave.
The lardy carer nonchalantly scoffs the rest of her pudding before picking up her handbag and walking out the room.
The family took the video to the police but George was handed just a caution after she admitted assaulting Mrs Marsden on June 13 last year.
Yesterday, Mrs Marsden’s family released the video of the shocking attack to warn other families about George in case she is continuing to work as a carer.
Gina said: “Within ten minutes of my sister Mandy leaving the house I was watching it on my phone and she slapped my mum four or five times.
“We only put the camera in because we thought she was being lazy.
“I didn’t expect to see that, I was shocked.
“I felt sick.
“When I came into the house to see her, I came in so calm and just said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m going to have to let you leave because I caught you slapping my mum on the camera’.
“She asked how long it had been there and I said 20 minutes, half-an-hour.
“She looked at my mum, carried on eating her yoghurt and said, ‘I’m sorry, what do you want me to do?’
“We took the video to the police and expected her to be charged but she got off with a caution.
“If I hit her that day I would have been a lot worse off than her.
“I’m not happy she got a caution because mum was just sat there not doing anything.
“My mum doesn’t speak, she’s Italian, all she said was ‘mamma mia’ when she got hit.
“My mum couldn’t hit her back or nothing.
“She couldn’t tell us – if that camera wasn’t up I think it’s been going on a lot longer than when that camera was fitted, from when my dad died.
“I’m just glad that camera has been put in place and she’s been caught.”
Mrs Marsden, from Kettering, Northants., suffers from dementia as well as being diabetic and partially blind.
Her family hid the camera in a light fitting and the footage could be accessed via mobile phone.
George worked as Mrs Marsden’s carer for Kettering-based Mega Care for almost two years.
The family brought in carers after the death of their father, and Mrs Marsden’s husband of 47 years, Malcolm, known as Mick, in August 2015.
Gina added: “We thought her decline was just her dementia.
“You used to walk in and she would grab hold of your hand really tight.
“She used to scratch her legs constantly.
“Just before dad passed away in August 2015, she was on the verge of it.
“She hadn’t been diagnosed and then she was doing stupid things like talking Italian to people and falling over.
“She was arguing with people because they couldn’t understand what they were saying.”
Mega Care’s chief operating officer Winner Lawal said George has since left the company.
He said: “We are appalled and disgusted by the actions of this ex-staff member.
“Of the 22 months that we cared for Sabina, this same staff member provided more than 96 per cent of the total visits. Sabina was the only service user cared for by this member of staff.”
Northamptonshire Police said they would meet the family to discuss their decision not to pursue further charges against George.
A force spokesman said: “We can confirm that we investigated reports of an assault in Seagrave Street, Kettering, which took place on June 13, 2017.
“After a thorough investigation and a review of all the evidence, a 46-year-old woman was issued with a police caution.
“Safeguarding vulnerable people is a high priority for the force.”
The family are now pursuing legal action against Mega Care.
Lauren Kennedy, of Seatons Solicitors in Corby, Northants., who act for Mrs Marsden and her family, said: “Sadly, cases involving the elderly and the vulnerable as victims of abuse and mistreatment are becoming increasingly common and it has never been more important for families of those receiving care to keep a close eye on their loved ones.
“Mrs Marsden’s family felt let down not only by Mega Care to whom they entrusted their mother’s care but also the Criminal Justice System which saw the offender being issued with just a caution.”
