By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 08:01 EST, 11 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:46 EST, 11 December 2013 . Sarah Pilkington, 34, is accused of ill-treating elderly dementia patients at the Plymouth care home where she worked . A worker in a care home was aggressive with elderly dementia patients and behaved 'as if she was fighting someone in a bar' rather than helping vulnerable people, a court heard. Sarah Pilkington, 34, who is accused of ill-treating people lacking mental capacity, abused, smacked and threatened 'to deck' patients at the Plymouth care home where she worked, it was alleged. The brunette is said to have wrenched an 88-year-old man’s arm and swore at him when he refused to get dressed, 'smacked or swiped' another elderly man’s hands, and threatened a 74-year-old woman for spilling tea. Plymouth Crown Court heard that Pilkington’s behaviour was more like someone 'picking a fight in a bar' than a care worker looking after vulnerable pensioners. Pilkington, of Devonport, denies four counts of ill-treating people lacking mental capacity at Plymouth’s Hartley Park Care Home, where she worked as a care assistant. Prosecutor Llewellyn Sellick said the three victims were all vulnerable dementia patients who were unable to give evidence themselves. But he told jurors that Pilkington’s 'aggressive' behaviour had been witnessed by colleagues who were disgusted by the distress she caused. The first alleged abuse happened in April or May 2012 when Pilkington was taking an 88-year-old man to the lavatory. Kelly Hogan, another care assistant, told the court that Pilkington pulled him around 'aggressively' when he resisted. Miss Hogan said she felt 'upset and disgusted' by what she had witnessed. She told jurors that on another occasion she saw Pilkington put her face close to a 74-year-old woman who had poured tea over a colleague. Miss Hogan said: 'She went into her face and said ‘Nobody does that to my [expletive] mate.’' Staff at the Hartley Park Care Home in Plymouth told the court that Pilkington behaved aggressively to patients . The court heard Pilkington clashed again with the same 88-year-old when he became aggressive and refused to get dressed. Suzanna Theobald, formerly a mental health nurse at the home, said Pilkington 'wrenched' at his arm, pulling it up roughly, and swore back at him. Mrs Theobald said: 'I can’t remember the exact words she was using but she was certainly using swear words. It started to feel very threatening. 'It was like she was fighting someone in a bar rather than caring for a very vulnerable adult in a nursing home. 'It was like she was fighting someone in a bar rather than caring for a very vulnerable adult in a nursing home.' - Suzanna Theobald, mental health nurse at the home . 'I was starting to get very upset and very uncomfortable. He tried to hit out at her. She said "I will deck you’ or something along those lines."' The court heard the incident was reported to police who began an investigation into Pilkington. On Boxing Day last year she allegedly lashed out at a different 88-year-old man who tried to move a chair. Care assistant Joanna Smith said she saw Pilkington smack or swipe his hands while calling him an offensive name several times. Miss Smith told the court: 'I was disgusted at what was happening.' Kelly Scrivener, defending, challenged each witness and said none of the incidents had happened. She told Miss Hogan and Miss Smith that they would have reported her behaviour immediately had it been as they described in court. And she said Mrs Theobald made up the complaint about Pilkington because the pair had argued over switching off patient alarms at night. Pilkington denied roughing up patients and told police she had been ‘stitched up like a right kipper’, the court heard. Plymouth Crown Court heard that Pilkington denied roughing up patients and said she had been 'done up like a kipper' The court was told she has previous convictions for theft, benefit fraud, handling stolen goods and dangerous driving dating back to 1995 when she was just 15. But Pilkington said she had turned her life around since having her first daughter in 2004 and had not committed a crime for 10 years. The mother-of-two said: ‘I’m not that person any more. I’m not that scally teenager I was then.’ Pilkington claimed former colleagues had lied about her abusing patients, but prosecutor Llewellyn Sellick told her: ‘I suggest these convictions demonstrate that it’s you who is indeed dishonest and it’s you who is telling the lies in this court.’ She denied slapping an 88-year-old patient’s wrists and repeatedly calling him a ‘p****’ after he approached her in a lounge area last Boxing Day. She told the jury the pair had a good relationship and would often ‘sit down and share a takeaway and watch the telly’. In another alleged incident Pilkington is said to have wrenched a different 88-year-old resident’s arm making the bones in his shoulder ‘creak’. But Pilkington said there was no truth in the allegation and that she merely had a bit of ‘banter’ with the vulnerable resident. It was also claimed that when a senior colleague asked her about a complaint she replied that she did not ‘give a f***’ about patients. The court was read out a recording of the interview where Pilkington denied all the allegations and told the police she had been ‘stitched up like a right kipper’. Gemma Poulding, an ex-colleague of Pilkington, told the court she was a hard worker with a bubbly personality, and said she had never seen Pilkington ill-treat, abuse or threaten any of the residents. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
Sarah Pilkington, of Devonport, accused of ill-treating care home patients .
She is said to have threatened a 74-year-old woman after she spilt her tea .
Was 'aggressive' with other patients at Hartley Park Care Home, Plymouth .
One nurse said Pilkington acted as if she was 'fighting someone in a bar'
All three alleged victims were unable to testify at Plymouth Crown Court .
She denies four charges of ill-treating people lacking mental capacity .
By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 08:01 EST, 11 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:46 EST, 11 December 2013 . Sarah Pilkington, 34, is accused of ill-treating elderly dementia patients at the Plymouth care home where she worked . A worker in a care home was aggressive with elderly dementia patients and behaved 'as if she was fighting someone in a bar' rather than helping vulnerable people, a court heard. Sarah Pilkington, 34, who is accused of ill-treating people lacking mental capacity, abused, smacked and threatened 'to deck' patients at the Plymouth care home where she worked, it was alleged. The brunette is said to have wrenched an 88-year-old man’s arm and swore at him when he refused to get dressed, 'smacked or swiped' another elderly man’s hands, and threatened a 74-year-old woman for spilling tea. Plymouth Crown Court heard that Pilkington’s behaviour was more like someone 'picking a fight in a bar' than a care worker looking after vulnerable pensioners. Pilkington, of Devonport, denies four counts of ill-treating people lacking mental capacity at Plymouth’s Hartley Park Care Home, where she worked as a care assistant. Prosecutor Llewellyn Sellick said the three victims were all vulnerable dementia patients who were unable to give evidence themselves. But he told jurors that Pilkington’s 'aggressive' behaviour had been witnessed by colleagues who were disgusted by the distress she caused. The first alleged abuse happened in April or May 2012 when Pilkington was taking an 88-year-old man to the lavatory. Kelly Hogan, another care assistant, told the court that Pilkington pulled him around 'aggressively' when he resisted. Miss Hogan said she felt 'upset and disgusted' by what she had witnessed. She told jurors that on another occasion she saw Pilkington put her face close to a 74-year-old woman who had poured tea over a colleague. Miss Hogan said: 'She went into her face and said ‘Nobody does that to my [expletive] mate.’' Staff at the Hartley Park Care Home in Plymouth told the court that Pilkington behaved aggressively to patients . The court heard Pilkington clashed again with the same 88-year-old when he became aggressive and refused to get dressed. Suzanna Theobald, formerly a mental health nurse at the home, said Pilkington 'wrenched' at his arm, pulling it up roughly, and swore back at him. Mrs Theobald said: 'I can’t remember the exact words she was using but she was certainly using swear words. It started to feel very threatening. 'It was like she was fighting someone in a bar rather than caring for a very vulnerable adult in a nursing home. 'It was like she was fighting someone in a bar rather than caring for a very vulnerable adult in a nursing home.' - Suzanna Theobald, mental health nurse at the home . 'I was starting to get very upset and very uncomfortable. He tried to hit out at her. She said "I will deck you’ or something along those lines."' The court heard the incident was reported to police who began an investigation into Pilkington. On Boxing Day last year she allegedly lashed out at a different 88-year-old man who tried to move a chair. Care assistant Joanna Smith said she saw Pilkington smack or swipe his hands while calling him an offensive name several times. Miss Smith told the court: 'I was disgusted at what was happening.' Kelly Scrivener, defending, challenged each witness and said none of the incidents had happened. She told Miss Hogan and Miss Smith that they would have reported her behaviour immediately had it been as they described in court. And she said Mrs Theobald made up the complaint about Pilkington because the pair had argued over switching off patient alarms at night. Pilkington denied roughing up patients and told police she had been ‘stitched up like a right kipper’, the court heard. Plymouth Crown Court heard that Pilkington denied roughing up patients and said she had been 'done up like a kipper' The court was told she has previous convictions for theft, benefit fraud, handling stolen goods and dangerous driving dating back to 1995 when she was just 15. But Pilkington said she had turned her life around since having her first daughter in 2004 and had not committed a crime for 10 years. The mother-of-two said: ‘I’m not that person any more. I’m not that scally teenager I was then.’ Pilkington claimed former colleagues had lied about her abusing patients, but prosecutor Llewellyn Sellick told her: ‘I suggest these convictions demonstrate that it’s you who is indeed dishonest and it’s you who is telling the lies in this court.’ She denied slapping an 88-year-old patient’s wrists and repeatedly calling him a ‘p****’ after he approached her in a lounge area last Boxing Day. She told the jury the pair had a good relationship and would often ‘sit down and share a takeaway and watch the telly’. In another alleged incident Pilkington is said to have wrenched a different 88-year-old resident’s arm making the bones in his shoulder ‘creak’. But Pilkington said there was no truth in the allegation and that she merely had a bit of ‘banter’ with the vulnerable resident. It was also claimed that when a senior colleague asked her about a complaint she replied that she did not ‘give a f***’ about patients. The court was read out a recording of the interview where Pilkington denied all the allegations and told the police she had been ‘stitched up like a right kipper’. Gemma Poulding, an ex-colleague of Pilkington, told the court she was a hard worker with a bubbly personality, and said she had never seen Pilkington ill-treat, abuse or threaten any of the residents. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
a care home was aggressive with elderly dementia patients and behaved 'as if she was fighting is accused of ill-treating people lacking mental and threatened a 74-year-old woman for spilling tea. Plymouth Crown Court heard that Pilkington’s vulnerable pensioners. Pilkington, of Devonport, denies four counts of ill-treating people lacking mental capacity at Plymouth’s Hartley Park Care victims were all vulnerable dementia patients who she was fighting someone in a bar rather than said to have wrenched a different 88-year-old