A carer accused of "yanking" a disabled girl's hair has told a jury she would "never hurt her in a million years". Elaine Murtagh is also alleged to have verbally abused the 15-year-old wheelchair user, who was in her care at the children's home where she was employed, by calling her a "little b****".
The residential support worker was said to have carried out the supposed assault in "retaliation" for the teenager having pulled at her hair and necklace. But the 64-year-old, of Horace Street in St Helens, denies ill treating the young service user, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, and is currently on trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Prosecution's account
A jury of three men and nine women heard during the prosecution's opening that the complainant's disabilities included being non-verbal and unable to walk, with Eric Lamb, appearing for the crown, telling the court: "The day that we are concerned with was a particularly difficult day for [the girl]. Her family were leaving on holiday without her."
They would be leaving her in respite care. She was collected by minibus to stay at [the care home] where this defendant worked. The defendant was assigned to care for [the girl] that day. During the day, [the girl] threw food and her cup around while she was being fed, and she threw her head back in her wheelchair.
The defendant, Elaine Murtagh, and her assistant, Sally Calland, tried giving her a shower in order to brighten her mood. [The girl] appeared to enjoy this. Sally Calland washed and conditioned her hair in the shower.
After half an hour, the defendant, Elaine Murtagh, and Sally Calland dried and dressed [the girl], and they put her back into her wheelchair. As [the girl] had done so often in the past to all members of staff dealing with her, [the girl] grabbed at the clothes of the care workers. In this case, she got hold of a necklace which the defendant, Elaine Murtagh, was wearing.
Several times, this defendant called [the girl] a little b****. She needed help in order to be able to release [the girl]'s grip. [The girl] then grabbed the defendant's hair and would not let go. Another support worker, Julie Garner, came in and helped out.
Eventually, when it was just [the girl] and this defendant, [the girl] let go of the defendant's hair, and Sally Calland describes what the defendant did next to [the girl] as a retaliation. It was a retaliation after [the girl] had got hold of the defendant's hair.
The defendant went behind [the girl]'s wheelchair. She yanked on [the girl]'s hair. It lasted for a second, with a fistful of [the girl]'s hair pulled by one hand by the defendant in a downward motion. This defendant, Elaine Murtagh, did not seem to notice that Sally Calland had seen what she did. But Sally Calland later told colleagues what had happened, and it was eventually reported to the police.
Defendant's evidence
Murtagh subsequently attended a voluntary interview around three weeks later and told detectives the incident in question had come prior to the complainant being showered, having stated she was "checking her hair to see if it was greasy" before "playing with her hair and stroking it". She also claimed she had told the girl "how would it feel if I pulled your hair?" in a "jokey way".
Wearing a beige jacket over a floral dress, Murtagh was called to give evidence to the court this morning, Tuesday August 11. The married mum-of-three and former teaching assistant appeared tearful as she was sworn in on the bible before telling the jury she had worked at the home for the past 22 years.
Murtagh went on to detail how she had been involved in providing respite care for the complainant for around seven years and said: "She's absolutely gorgeous. I love her."
I know that don't sound professional, but some children you just take to straight away. She's one of those. When you're caring for somebody, you can't just be dispassionate towards them. You're caring for them. You're doing intimate things for them.
Murtagh went on to describe her relationship with the girl as "fantastic", adding: "She knows me. We've always got on. I tickle her and all sorts. She gets anxious a lot. She is absolutely lovely. Everybody's saying she scratches and pulls your hair, but that's just her being anxious. She's got a cracking personality. She's really lovely."
On the day in question, in May last year, Murtagh reported an incident when she was undressing the complainant prior to her being showered: "She just grabbed my hair and my necklace and held on. She has got a very strong grip for the size of her and everything. You wouldn't think."
Murtagh denied having called the girl a "b****" at this stage and detailed how her grip eventually "loosened", telling the court: "As soon as the grip on you loosens, you sort of bat her hand away then stand back. So you're free then."
Asked whether she had "pulled her hair in retaliation", Murtagh replied "no". Further asked whether she "would ever hurt her", she added: "Never in a million years, no."
With Murtagh having previously stated under interview that she had called the girl a "witch or bee hatch" rather than a "b****", she said of this: "I always call her a witch. It does stem from Halloween, when she's been dressed up and we took her trick or treating. Recently, we took her to a party that was like a Halloween party. She was dressed as a witch again. She seemed to enjoy it, from what I could see of her."
You have to have a word that's not too bad. Sometimes, you can get a bit frustrated or something if a child's hurting you. You have to have a sort of word that's appropriate, so that the child knows it's not appropriate to do that. Mine was witch. If it's a boy, it's usually reprobate. It's a word you say so you don't swear. You know you're not allowed to swear in front of children.
When asked to explain the phrase "bee hatch", Murtagh said: "I must have heard it off somebody else. I was trying to make her laugh. I was singing to her. I was singing little risqué songs that wasn't too bad. I was saying it was lovely to see you smiling."
I was absolutely made up. She'd calmed down. She was laughing at me. That's when I said, you've got a bit of a sting in your tail but you're gorgeous. I was joking with her. I was just trying to get her to smile. Sometimes, she likes you saying a word that's not right, to get a laugh out of her.
Asked if she had touched the girl's hair, Murtagh replied: "Yeah. You just go in automatic pilot. I just went to her chair. Because I'd give her mash as well, I just needed to see if her hair was still clean. It was all silky."
I don't know why. I went to pull her bobble out, but then I thought no. I just left it at that. It was probably a second. She could have had food there. It got all threw around.
Murtagh, who is represented by Peter Wilson, denies one count of ill treatment by a care worker. The trial, before Judge David Swinnerton, continues.
