Abusive carer left severely disabled man bruised and covered in deodorant

Nicholas Howard was supposed to be providing specialist one-to-one care at the home of his victim at Badger Court in Stourbridge when the abuse took place, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

But instead of caring for the 44-year-old, Howard left him bruised and drenched in deodorant, before claiming that the victim could have inflicted the abuse on himself.

Howard was yesterday convicted of ill-treating the victim under section 44 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The incident took place on May 28, 2014, when the 32-year-old carer was working as part of a team supporting the victim, whose severe learning disability means he is totally dependent on others to meet his needs.

Concerns were raised when Howard handed over to another carer at 9pm that night, who noticed bruising to the victim's ears. She also saw that he was covered in white deodorant stains.

Police were called and an investigation was launched.

In an interview some weeks later, Howard, of Roberts Green Road, Dudley, denied having anything to do with the bruising, suggesting it could have been caused by self-harm.

Although he accepted the victim's deodorant was locked away in the bathroom, he claimed he could have taken his own personal deodorant from his bag and sprayed it while he wasn't looking.

But those claims were dismissed by expert witnesses, including an occupational therapist who said it was 'highly unlikely' the bruising could have been caused by self-injury, or that the victim could have sprayed the deodorant on himself.

Officers from West Midlands Police's Public Protection Unit pursued a victimless prosecution in lieu of the man's ability to communicate or provide any account of what actually happened.

The evidence was enough to convince a jury that it was indeed Howard who was responsible for causing the victim's injuries and drenching him in deodorant.

He was found guilty and will be sentenced on Monday July 25.

Dc Sarah West, from West Midlands Police, said: "We still don't really know why Nicholas Howard carried out this abuse, but his colleagues told us they were concerned about his general behaviour and lack of patience.

"He was immediately suspended from work when this allegation came to light and following Friday's conviction he will never be able to hold such a position of trust in the future.

"I hope this case demonstrates the seriousness with which we treat this type of abuse and shows we will relentlessly pursue those who ill-treat the most vulnerable people in our society."