Whorlton Hall: Patient's screams 'penetrating' for staff

Karen McGhee admitted that she found the woman’s screaming difficult to deal with on a daily basis but said she used different diversionary tactics to calm the patient down.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the woman’s screams were described as penetrating when she was in a state of distress while she was being cared for at Whorlton Hall, near Barnard Castle.

Under cross examination, the 54-year-old nurse was asked why she had told the woman, who was known not to like male carers, that two men would be coming to look after her.

Read more: 'I thought I was going to die': Victim talks of being slashed with machete by stepdad

She replied: “I was just explaining to her that we could need male staff to come down. She is a big girl and can very quickly do some damage to staff.

“Some males are more confident (in dealing with the patient) particularly responders who have more confidence.”

Karen McGhee (Image: The Northern Echo)

Jurors had watched video footage, captured by an undercover reporter from the BBC, of staff dealing with the patient, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when she became distressed and agitated.

Ms McGhee said at times the woman needed to be restrained by staff but the manoeuvre was only carried out as a last resort.

The nurse is one of nine former members of staff at the specialist hospital, which has since closed down, facing charges after an undercover BBC reporter captured them allegedly ill-treating patients.

Filmed over several weeks, the reporter captured the defendants tormenting one distressed patient who was seen to scream in anguish and hit herself as staff encouraged her or threatened to remove all female staff.

Olivia Davies worked as a care assistant at the unit near Barnard Castle while recording the actions of staff, including McGhee.

Whorlton Hall

The accused are:

• John Sanderson, 25, of Cambridge Avenue, Willington, faces two charges of care worker ill-treatment or wilful neglect of an individual on February 2 and 25, 2019.

• Darren Mark Lawton, 47, of Miners Crescent, Darlington, by virtue of being a care worker, allegedly ill-treated or wilfully neglected a patient on January 27, 2019, and faces the same charge relating to a different patient on February 2.

• Niall Mellor, 26, of Lingmell Dene, Coundon, Bishop Auckland, is accused of the ill-treatment or wilful neglect of a patient on two occasions on January 20 and 24, 2019.

• Sarah Banner, 33, from Faulkner Road, Newton Aycliffe, stands accused of three charges of ill-treatment or neglect of a female in her care on January 24 and of a male patient the following day.

• Matthew Banner, 43, of the same Newton Aycliffe address, faced six charges all relating to the same patient at Whorlton Hall on separate occasions between January 6 and February 22.

• Ryan Fuller, 27, from of Deerbolt Bank, Barnard Castle, faced ten charges of ill-treatment or wilful neglect against six different patients January 19 and February 2.

Read next:

• Two witnesses saw murder accused stabbing his brother with kitchen knife
• Man in court accused of murdering young Sicilian couple in North East flat
• WATCH: Dealer arrested selling Class A drugs near children's play area

​Get more from The Northern Echo with a Premium Plus digital subscription from as little as only £1.50 a week. Click here

• Sabah Mahmood, 27, of Woodland Crescent, Kelloe, is accused of, by virtue of being a care worker, ill-treating or wilfully neglecting a male patient on January 4, 2019.

• Peter Bennett, 53, of Redworth Road, Billingham, faced three charges in total relating to two female patients, on January 6 and February 24.

• Karen McGhee, 54, from Wildair Close, Darlington, faced a total of four charges relating to a male and a female patient which were all said to have happened in January 2019.

The trial continues.