A CARER who worked at a Wroxham nursing home was given a 12-week suspended jail sentence after he admitted ill-treating six vulnerable patients.

Richard Thurtle, 36, was employed at Overbury House Nursing Home, which cares for elderly, mentally infirm people, including some patients with dementia.

Norwich Crown Court heard on Wednesday that he was investigated for his actions towards some of the elderly patients following complaints by some of his colleagues.

Richard Potts, prosecuting, said that one of the complaints involved him acting a bit heavy-handed with a woman with dementia who had fallen asleep when she was meant to be eating her food and another complaint was when he pinged the bra of another woman in a playful way, but which had been upsetting to the dignity of the patient.

Mr Potts said that another complaint involved the rough way he had handled a woman with incontinence problems.

Thurtle, of Whitegates, Ludham, admitted six counts of ill-treating a person lacking in mental capacity.

Jailing him for 12 weeks, suspended for two years, Judge Peter Jacobs told him that the job he had taken on required patience and training to safeguard the patients.

He added: “It is your duty having taken on the job to do it properly.”

He also ordered Thurtle to do 240 hours’ unpaid work and pay �1,000 costs.

Andrew Thompson, for Thurtle, said that none of the ill-treatment had been deliberate and no physical injury was inflicted. He added Thurtle had no desire to work in this field again.