Sick care workers who tortured dementia patients’ ‘comfort therapy dolls’ jailed
The judge slammed the two women as 'bullies' who treated residents as 'play things'
CARERS who tortured dementia patients' comfort dolls in front of them have been jailed after sending sickening footage of the abuse to friends on Whatsapp.
Shauna Higgin, 20, and Victoria Johnson, 23, were filmed boiling a doll in a pot, putting one in a tumble dryer and hanging another by its neck.
Another photograph, that was named Tug of War online, shows Higgin snatching the doll from a distressed pensioner who desperately tried to stop it being taken away.
She is then heard in a video clip shouting, "die, baby, die" as she hurls a doll to the floor.
The dolls are used by elderly residents staying at Middleton’s Ashbourne House Nursing Home who treat them like they are their own children.
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The pair admitted two counts of ill-treating or wilfully neglecting OAPs with dementia in their care.
They burst into tears as Higgin was jailed for 13 months and Johnson for 12 months.
Judge Andrew Lockwood slammed the carers as "bullies" who treated residents as "play things".
Jailing them, he said: “When families take the difficult decision to place loved ones in a care home they expect the bare minimum that loved ones will be treated with dignity and respect.
“You treated them as playthings, as the butt of your tasteless jokes, your behaviour bullied and your victims could not fight back.
"These cruel offences can only be met with custodial sentences.”
Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court was told Higgin and Johnson took pictures and video of their sickening abuse and posted them into a Whatsapp group.
Defending Higgen, John Marsh described her behaviour as “immature” - and added that she had received death threats since the shocking abuse had come to light.
Steven Sullivan, for Johnson, told the court the 23-year-old was now receiving counselling for depression.
He added: “This offence was borne out of immaturity, thoughtlessness and irresponsibility, but not of malice.”
She is now being watched by prison authorities as she begins her time in jail.
The care home run by Silverdale Care Homes which houses 29 residents, is now in special measures after Care Quality Commission inspectors slammed its services as "inadequate".
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