UK court jails Nigerian care worker for abusing 88-year-old man
A Nigerian care worker in the United Kingdom, Bilikesu Olagunju, has been sentenced for abusing 88-year-old John Attard, a dementia patient and great-grandfather, in his Bexley, Kent home.
The abuse was uncovered through CCTV footage installed by Attard’s son, Chris, who became suspicious after finding his father bloodied and unresponsive in bed on Christmas morning in 2022.
The harrowing footage, presented in court, showed Olagunju shouting at Attard to stand as she struggled to dress him on Christmas Eve. She was seen dragging the frail pensioner by the arm across the living room floor while he cried out, “you’re hurting me.” Olagunju also threatened to flog the elderly man and call the police on him.
In another disturbing scene, Olagunju squeezed the contents of a plastic marmalade sachet into Attard’s coffee while threatening violence, then pulled his table away, making it difficult for him to eat. Hot coffee spilled on Attard during the encounter.
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The victim, described by his son as “kind-hearted, generous, compassionate, and funny,” was diabetic and suffered from dementia. He died days later, though an autopsy could not conclusively link Olagunju’s actions to his death.
Chris told the court the ordeal had a devastating impact on his family, stating he believed Olagunju’s mistreatment directly contributed to his father’s decline.
Olagunju, who was employed by Unique Personnel UK and was just six days into her first assignment as a care worker, pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating or willfully neglecting an individual in her care.
At Woolwich Crown Court in South-East London, Judge Charlotte Welsh handed Olagunju a six-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with 50 hours of unpaid work. Welsh noted it was difficult to understand why Olagunju, with no prior experience or sufficient training, had been assigned a vulnerable dementia patient as her first client.
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“Being a carer is a very, very difficult job and frankly people don’t appreciate it until they need it. I am convinced that you had not received sufficient training,” Welsh said in her ruling.
The judge condemned Olagunju’s actions as a failure to treat Attard with dignity and respect, though she acknowledged the care worker’s genuine remorse and clean criminal record.
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