A RENFREW woman’s career as a carer is in tatters after she was convicted of abusing a vulnerable dementia sufferer.

Ruth Monaghan, 49, abused 66-year-old Janet McCaffrey, who has since died, at the Hillside View Care Home on April 23 last year.

She shouted and swore at Miss McCaffrey as the wheelchair-bound pensioner, who suffered from crippling arthritis, struggled to eat her lunch.

Monaghan was so abusive towards her elderly victim that she was accused of assaulting her to her injury.

She denied any wrongdoing and went on trial over the allegations at Paisley Sheriff Court last week, forcing colleagues to give evidence against her.

Marina Anne McElhinney was the first witness called in the case.

The 48-year-old carer said she had worked at Hillside View, in Nethercraigs Road, Paisley, for around four-and-a-half years and that she and her colleagues, including Monaghan, were tasked with helping residents to dress, wash, eat and go to the toilet.

Ms McElhinney told the court she saw Monaghan, of Haining Road, assaulting the OAP on the day in question.

She said: “Miss McCaffrey kept repeating herself a lot. She would get quite stressed. Her hands were closed in. She had very bad hands and her legs were bad as well. She required assistance with everything.

“Janet was asking ‘Can I get out, please? Can I get out, please?’ She was asking to leave, she was saying she couldn’t see. She wore glasses.

“Ruth slammed the plate down and said ‘there’s your dinner’. She also slammed the spoon down on the table and was saying ‘Shut up, shut up.

“I then saw Ruth put her hand over and grab Janet’s arm and say ‘I told you to shut up.’

“After that, Janet was shouting ‘She pulled my arm, she pulled my f****** arm.’

“I said ‘Ruth, that’s enough.’ I raised my voice. I was upset and angry.”

Ms McElhinney said she later saw bruising on Miss McCaffrey’s arms and decided to report what had happened to a superior.

She added: “I thought ‘What do I do? Do I grass my co-worker up?’ It was a very difficult situation to be in.”

Another carer, 29-year-old Michelle McDougall, also gave evidence, telling the court she had seen Monaghan “leaning over” Miss McCaffrey, before stepping back and saying “I didn’t touch her” while raising her hands in the air.

Sheriff Tom McCartney convicted Monaghan of behaving in a threatening or abusive way towards the pensioner but found the assault claims not proven.

He called for background reports to be prepared ahead of sentencing and adjourned the case until next month.

Sheriff McCartney told Monaghan: “All three witnesses spoke to behaviour which, in the context of a care home, would clearly be described as threatening or abusive and which could not, on any view, be regarded as reasonable.”

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