A CARE home worker who attacked two dementia patients during his night shift has been jailed.

Marcin Choinkowski, of Foxglove Close, Winkfield Row, was found guilty of verbally and physically abusing two dementia patients by pulling their hair and smacking them in the mouth on two occasions in August 2020.

David Tremain, prosecuting, said: "The two victims were elderly ladies in Ascot Nursing Home, residing on the dementia floor.

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"He was working with his colleague on the night shift on those nights. On August 25, he grabbed the hair and slapped the mouth of one of the victims, and half an hour later the other victim was roughly lifted out of bed, roughly undressed, and slapped in the face.

"The colleague, who was a witness in the trial, said there was a small bruise to the second victim's arm the following week. The defendant became frustrated again on August 27, and he grabbed the back of her hair and slapped her in the mouth.

"His actions were reported by his colleague on the same day. The colleague regarded him as a friend, and Mr Choinkowski may have been confident the witness would not report him."

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Following a trial, the 50-year-old was convicted of three counts of ill-treating individuals under his duty of care as a care worker.

Defending, Ania Grudzinska, said: "In our submission, both incidents of violence were unplanned and impulsive, and both resulted from a lack of sleep and stress - both incidents take place at the very end of his night shifts."

The defence barrister explained how he had been sacked since the incident, causing major stress to his wife and daughter.

Sentencing, His Honour Judge Edward Burgess QC said: "The reality is what you did to these two elderly women is shocking and attracts abhorrence in any right-minded thinking person.

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“While you were under personal stress, and these people were challenging to deal with, nothing can excuse the criminal activity you took against them.”

Choinkowski was handed a 12-month prison sentence, of which he will serve half before he is eligible for release.

The 50-year-old was sentenced on Monday, May 9.