A CARER who discovered a dementia sufferer dead at a Gwent care home thought he was asleep, her colleague told a court yesterday.

The trial of seven people charged with the wilful neglect leading to the death of Alan Sayers at Mountleigh Care Home, Newbridge, in 2004 continued yesterday, with staff who worked at the home at the time of his death giving evidence.

Anne Hughes told Newport crown court she learned about Mr Sayers’ death through defendant Rosslyn Jenkins when she came into work at the home as a care assistant the morning after he was found dead.

She said Jenkins told her she had been with Mr Sayers giving one to one care during the night and thought he was asleep because he was facing the wall.

“She told me she patted his bottom just to see whether he needed changing rather than disturb him, but he was dry which was unusual,” Ms Hughes told the court.

She said Jenkins told her she stood up and looked over, then realised he was dead and called for help.

Ms Hughes did not know how long Jenkins had been with Mr Sayers before she discovered he was dead.

“It was said twice that someone was with him all night, and that she (Jenkins) was with him at the time when he was found deceased,” Ms Hughes added.

When questioned by Peter Murphy, representing Harris, Ms Hughes said she had never known an occasion when Mr Sayers was left alone.

“It was such a small place it would have been picked up,” she said.

Margaret Brimble, another carer who worked at Montleigh when Mr Sayers died, said Enda Evans brought a rota for 24-hour care in, and was told Mr Sayers' one to one care was being increased and somebody had to be with him at all times.

Mrs Brimble could not remember when the rota was brought in, but said before its enforcement the care staff would sometimes sort out between them who would look after Mr Sayers, rather than a qualified nurse.

Proceeding.

Home's staff and a doctor deny all charges

Mountleigh Care Home general manager Dawn Harris, 52, of Raglan Mews, Newport and care manager Enda Evans, 56, of Glyn Derw, Caerphilly, are jointly charged with wilfully neglecting Alan Sayers between December 18, 2002 and September 28, 2004.

Care assistants Rosslyn Jenkins, 54, of Alexandra Place, Newbridge, and Michael Lurvey, 54, of Greenfield, Newbridge, qualified nurse Musediq Salisu, 47, of Viscount Evan Drive, Newport, and agency care assistants Margaret Lewis, 60, of Prospect Place, Cwmbran, and Chengeta Kaziboni, 34, of Cowbridge Road West, Cardiff, are jointly charged with wilfully neglecting Alan Sayers between September 25 and September 28 2004.

GP Sushma Ohja, 55, of Hillside Park, Bargoed, is charged with making false representations on Mr Sayers’s death certificate and cremation certificate and also falsely obtaining £50.70 from Gwent Police by claiming she attended the home in her capacity as a police doctor.

Mountleigh Care Home was located in New Bryngwyn Road, Newbridge, but has since reopened under new management, run by Southern Cross Care Homes and is now open under the name of Millview House and Lodge.