Four former staff members at a Durham hospital for vulnerable people have been found guilty of the ill treatment of vulnerable patients in their care.
Matthew Banner, 43, of Faulkner Road, Newton Aycliffe, was convicted on five charges of ill-treatment of a person in care, Peter Bennett, 52, of Redworth Road, Billingham, and Ryan Fuller, 26, of Deerbolt Bank, Barnard Castle, were each convicted of two charges, and John Sanderson, 25, of Cambridge Avenue, Willington, was convicted of one count following a trial at Teesside Crown Court. Five other defendants were found not guilty.
The men had been employed as carers at Whorlton Hall, an independent specialist hospital unit in Barnard Castle, which accommodates adults with severe mental health issues and learning disabilities. All four are due to return to court for sentencing on July 7.
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Some of the offending had been brought to light after being captured on camera by a reporter working for the BBC’s Panorama programme, who posed undercover as a support worker at the hospital in late 2018 and early 2019. Durham Constabulary launched an investigation in May 2019 after receiving reports of the documentary, which led to the arrest of 10 carers within just 36 hours of the programme airing.
Matthew Banner's wife Sarah Banner, 33, from Faulkner Road, Newton Aycliffe, was cleared of three counts of ill-treatment of a patient. Darren Mark Lawton, 47, of Miners Crescent, Darlington; Niall Mellor, 26, of Lingmell Dene, Coundon, Bishop Auckland; Sabah Mahmood, 27, of Woodland Crescent, Kelloe; and Karen McGhee, 54, from Wildair Close, Darlington, were also cleared of all charges.
The court heard during the trial how one female patient had been threatened with being assigned male carers against her expressed wishes, even when sufficient female staff were available. In other instances, patients were threatened with the removal of their personal belongings and were mocked for having communication difficulties, and some patients were even encouraged by staff members to fight them.
Christopher Atkinson, Head of the Complex Casework Unit for CPS North East, said: “Those convicted today had a duty of care for patients who, due to significant mental health issues, were wholly dependent on their support every day of their lives. It is clear from the evidence in this case that there were occasions where the care provided by those convicted was not only devoid of the appropriate respect and kindness required, but also crossed the line into criminal offending.
“The Crown Prosecution has worked closely with Durham Constabulary from the early stages of this complex investigation to build a robust case against those convicted today. We will continue to work alongside our police partners to protect the most vulnerable who, whether due to their mental of physical capacity, are unable to protect themselves.”
Detective Chief Superintendent David Ashton of Durham Constabulary said: “This case raises concerns, particularly for those who have vulnerable relatives or friends who require specialist care. We hope that the successful prosecution of the defendants in this case sends a clear message that the abuse of vulnerable people in specialist care settings will not be tolerated.”
“Durham Constabulary have worked closely with other agencies to prioritise the safety of those patients who, sadly, had suffered from the abuse which was exposed by the BBC Panorama documentary. We hope that the action taken provides the patients, their families and many other people involved in specialist care an element of reassurance.”
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