Louise Harris, a 42-year-old carer, was jailed for three months after being filmed abusing an 81-year-old dementia sufferer at her home in Pontardawe. The victim, Elizabeth Anne Shipton, was subjected to a tirade of abuse, with Harris shouting: 'I hope you die in your sleep you f***ing horrible cow.'
The Abuse
The incident occurred on the first and only occasion Harris looked after Elizabeth, who suffers from dementia. After the victim's daughter, Tracy Faram, left the house, Harris discovered a bottle of vodka in the fridge and consumed it. The court heard that Harris was a recovering alcoholic who had 'succumbed to temptation'.
Harris knelt down and placed her arm on Elizabeth's chest, demanding to know where her money was. When Elizabeth complained of pain, Harris yelled back: 'I don't care, where's your money?' She also ripped up the victim's knitting, which was helping her cope with the death of her husband.
Family's Reaction
Tracy Faram, who had known Harris for years as a former neighbour, said she was horrified when she accessed the security camera and witnessed the abuse. 'She'd been a carer since she was 18. I checked everything with her – she was trained on dementia, manual handling, incontinence. I'll never get my head around how she could do this,' Tracy said.
Harris had responded to a Facebook post seeking a carer while the family awaited a care package from social services. The assault occurred during what was meant to be a trial period. Tracy had informed Harris that her mother was in a fragile state, having recently spent seven weeks in hospital with sepsis and mourning her husband's death.
Court Sentencing
Harris pleaded guilty to ill-treating a care worker and criminal damage. Her lawyer, Andrew Evans, said she was genuinely remorseful and that her behaviour was due to finding the vodka in the fridge. Judge Huw Rees handed down a three-month jail term, of which 40% will be served in custody, stating that elderly people deserve 'respect, dignity, and humanity' and that Harris showed a 'heartless and cruel' attitude.
Tracy Faram lodged an appeal arguing the sentence was unduly lenient, saying: 'For her to be serving just over a month is unbelievable when you think what we've had since February.' She added that her mother is 'horrifically traumatised' and now cannot be left alone, fearing Harris will return.
Ongoing Trauma
The victim no longer wears her Lifeline device because she associates it with the abuse. The family had to fit a new front door with a glass panel so Elizabeth can see who is outside. Tracy said: 'I want to advocate for cameras in homes where there are carers, because what if we didn't have this camera?'
