Carer secretly filmed slapping Neath OAP with dementia
A carer was secretly filmed slapping an 82-year-old dementia sufferer.
Dina Davies's family became suspicious Filipino Lorrie Origenes, 30, who was paid to look after her, was assaulting her in her home near Neath.
Footage showing her slapping the "vulnerable" pensioner and pushing her head into a mattress or pillow was shown to Swansea Crown Court.
Origenes, who admitted three charges under the Mental Capacity Act, was jailed for a total of 17 weeks.
Prosecuting Paul Hobson told the court that Origenes was first employed by Mrs Davies's son Nigel as a housekeeper at his home in London.
She then moved to Wales to help care for his mother at her home in Penscynor.
She would look after Mrs Davies during the day and stay with her for two nights a week to provide a care break for her daughter Angela Marzella.
But members of the family started to notice bruising on her body that could not be explained.
A surveillance camera was set up in her bedroom without Origenes knowing.
On 8 January this year Mrs Marzella reviewed some of the footage and saw Origenes slapping her mother.
It was handed to police and five clips filmed in December and January were played to Recorder Jonathan Furness.
One showed Mrs Davies having just woken up and appearing to have soiled herself. Shortly after Origenes struck her three times.
Another showed Mrs Davies in bed and Origenes pushing her head into a pillow or mattress.
In another Origenes could be seen slapping Mrs Davies while she was getting dressed.
Mr Hobson told the court as well as the harm inflicted on Mrs Davies the incidents had left Mrs Marzella unable to trust anyone to look after her mother again.
In a statement read out in court Mr Davies spoke of his "total devastation that she [Origenes] was capable of such cruelty against such a vulnerable and passive individual."
In mitigation Robin Rouch said Origenes should be given credit for her guilty pleas and that she was "bitterly shamed and wholly remorseful."
Recorder Furness said: "It's plain from the DVD that Mrs Davies was entirely unaware of what was happing to her and incapable of telling anyone about.
"What I was struck by was the atmosphere of aggression and intimidation and total lack of warmth and care that was being shown to Mrs Davies."
The court was told Origenes's visa expires in September and it would be a matter for the Home Office whether she was deported.
Speaking outside the court Mrs Marzella said she was pleased Origenes was jailed.
"Hopefully she will have time to think about what she did," she said.