A SENIOR carer cruelly dealt with autistic children at a residential unit, a court heard.

Laurence Donkin was seen by junior colleagues meting out "inappropriate" punishment to young autism sufferers in incidents spanning a dozen years at a residential unit which forms part of Thornhill Park School, in Sunderland, the court heard.

Durham Crown Court was told that as a "house parent", Mr Donkin held power and influence, and was seen as "untouchable".

As a result, staff only raised concerns when a new principal took over in March, 2001.

Mr Donkin, 44, of Brockenhurst Drive, Hastings Hill, Sunderland, denies seven counts of wilfully ill-treating a child in his care under the age of 16.

The charges relate to four pupils at the school, which cares for autistic children from across the region.

John Evans, prosecuting, said: "The Crown would say the defendant was behaving quite deliberately, knowing what he was doing, causing his victims pain, alarm and distress in a manner which is simply inexcusable and cannot be justified."

Care assistant Wendy Warrington, who has worked at the unit for more than 14 years, was one of two staff whose complaints resulted in a police investigation.

When asked about dealing with autistic children, some of whom suffer from a severe form of the condition, she told the court: "It is very difficult and needs a lot of patience and understanding."

She described seeing Mr Donkin aggressively lead one screaming boy, who was dressed only in pyjamas, into the garden at night in the autumn or winter.

On his return, the boy had to be taken to hospital for a cut to his eye, but Mr Donkin said he had walked into a door handle.

Miss Warrington said that on other occasions, when the boy's behaviour was difficult, Mr Donkin was seen dangling him by an ankle, banging his head off a wall "quite hard", and bending him over his knee, pushing his head back, while muffling his mouth.

In another incident, she said she saw a different boy, with severe problems, being led distressed to the laundry, where Miss Warrington later found blood on a door and cupboard.

She also told the court Mr Donkin was seen in a cloakroom holding a severely autistic girl, who was refusing to put her coat on, between his legs while pushing her head back.

The case continues.