Annesley care worker shoved elderly patient to floor and left her to bleed

Angela Towsey, aged 66, pulled her victim up by her clothing and then walked out of the room in a Bulwell mental health unit with a colleague, on July 27, last year, Nottingham Magistrates’ Court heard.

Ben Paine, prosecuting, said CCTV recorded her victim trying to get up and touching the blood on her face from a five-centimetre laceration for the next 10 minutes.

Sentencing, District judge Gillian Young told Towsey: "These kinds of offences are always treated seriously because of the nature of them and the breach of trust between patient and carer."

She mentioned previous cases in which the custody threshold was passed, including one which was described as “mean, cruel and exploitative”, before telling Towsey “your matter is not the same”.

She said: “In this case, it’s very clear she was vulnerable. She was there for 10 minutes trying to get up in her pyjamas. She had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

“Sadly that lady has passed away, but not as a result of your actions.”

Towsey, of Stewart Way, Annesley, admitted being a care worker who ill-treated an individual.

Pars Samrai, mitigating, said the mother-of-three has worked in the NHS for 30 years and is of previous good character.

Judge Young told Towsey: “I have been told there have been no complaints before and you are of positive good character. You are extremely remorseful.

“I think it crosses the custody threshold because of the disregard shown for her wellbeing.

“I have to ask myself if any sentence can be suspended and I have concluded it can because you are assessed as presenting a very low risk of reoffending. We are unlikely to see you again.”

Towsey was jailed for 16 weeks, suspended for 12 months, with 80 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay a £150 surcharge and £85 costs.