A care worker has admitted wilful neglect and ill treatment of patients following an investigation at a mental health unit in Greater Manchester. Sara Coleman, 43, pleaded guilty to four offences after a probe at the Edenfield Centre in Prestwich, Bury.
Details of the charges
During a hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester on June 24, Coleman, of Mitford Street, Stretford, admitted two counts of wilful neglect and two counts of ill treatment as part of her role as a care worker. The charges relate to three victims. Coleman denied another count of wilful neglect, but prosecutor Richard Herrmann said her pleas were acceptable. She will be sentenced at a later date.
Second care worker denies charges
A second care worker, Sheryl Price, 45, denied 14 charges of ill treatment. The charges Coleman denied relate to four alleged victims. Price, of Eldergreen Close, Bolton, is due to go on trial in September 2028. Judge Maurice Greene released both defendants on bail. A further hearing in the case was scheduled for December.
Background of the case
The Edenfield Centre is a mental health facility on the site of the former Prestwich Hospital and is run by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. The case followed a programme broadcast by the BBC which documented allegations of ill-treatment of patients at the centre.
