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Care home nurse denies neglect





Barbara Kowalska is said to have belittled the bewildered cancer patient, calling him "dirty and filthy."
The jury at Reading Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Miss Kowalska, who was living at London Road, Newbury, even threatened to make him eat it.
The incident is said to have happened at the BUPA-run Donnington Residential and Nursing Home in Wantage Road.
The 34-year-old nurse, who lived at London Road, Newbury, denies a single count of the neglect of a person with mental incapacity sometime between August 24 and 28 last year.
Michael Williams, prosecuting, said Miss Kowalska, a registered nurse, had been called to help care assistant Tina Braybrooke clean up the pensioner after he was found naked in a chair in his room, covered in urine and faeces.
He said it was then that she launched her cruel tirade while deliberately rubbing her dirty finger on his nose, which was particularly sensitive after he had suffered cancer.
Mr Williams told jurors that Ms Braybrooke “looked into the corridor and asked for help and Miss Kowalska came to help with him. She recalls her coming into the room and ranting that (the alleged victim) was dirty and filthy.
"During the cleaning up Miss Kowalska had got faeces on her glove and Tina Braybrooke describes her using her finger to smear faeces on (his) nose.”
He said Miss Kowalski then used crude terms to warn him: “If you do this again you'll be eating (excrement).”
Mr Williams added: "(Ms Braybrooke) said she was upset that he was spoken to in this way but felt too scared to say anything to Miss Kowalska."
However, the court heard, Miss Braybrooke later reported it to a colleague and the matter was then reported to police by the home's general manager.
After being arrested by Thames Valley Police, Miss Kowalska, who is currently living in Poland, claimed she had merely held up a pan of faeces to the alleged victim’s face because he was asking what was going on, jurors heard.
She said she was not aware anything had got onto his nose, the court was told.
Mr Williams said the elderly man, who suffered from dementia, had been resident at the home for two years and had problems with mobility, dressing, feeding and incontinence.”
The trial continues.



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