Good Morning Britain presenters Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley were visibly shocked after watching a video of a carer being abusive towards an elderly woman during the latest instalment of the ITV show.
The clip showed Louise Harris screaming at Elizabeth Anne Shipton, an 81-year-old living with dementia, and calling her "a horrible cow". Harris was sentenced to three months in prison after the family captured the footage on camera.
Footage aired on the programme
Before playing the clip, Kate told viewers: "We think it's important to show you so you can see the problem for yourselves. It's footage of an 81-year-old woman who is living with dementia and she's being abused by the woman paid to care for her."
As the footage finished, Kate gasped and held her hand to her face while Richard exclaimed: "Good God!"
Presenter's reaction
"That's the first time we've seen those pictures and heard them," Richard said. "What you saw there, what we all saw there was Anne, who was recovering from the bleed on the brain, being horribly abused by that woman, Louise Harris."
"Luckily that video helped the police investigation which led to being sentenced to three months in prison, even though she served less than half of that behind bars," he continued.
Daughter's account
The presenter then turned to the lady's daughter, Tracy, who was appearing on the programme, and said: "Good God Tracy." Tracy explained that it had been a trial shift to see how the carer and her mother got on, and that she was just away for a few hours while she travelled to collect a car.
She said her mum - who was in the Green Room backstage while Tracy was on the sofa with Kate and Richard - is now "very, very traumatised" after what happened and that she "can't be left alone" for very long.
"They have had to give her certificates to sleep at night," said Tracy. "She has night terrors. She has flashbacks. She can't be left alone now. The maximum is 10, 15 minutes, and she starts reliving it."
As the interview ended Kate told Tracy: "We're horrified on your behalf." Good Morning Britain airs at 6am on ITV.
