A VIDEO showing a resident of a Forest care home screaming in pain after limpets were placed on his his bare back was shown to a Crown Court judge.

After viewing the clip, Judge Ian Lawrie QC warned three formers worker from the home in Longhope that they face jail for degrading and humiliating their 54-year-victim, who is deaf and has learning difficulties.

Judge Lawrie told Sean Watkins, of Ridgewalk, Ruardean Hill, Laura Paul of Meadow Walk, Solomon’s Tump, Huntley and Daniel Gower, of Wellington Parade, Gloucester: "This is about as bad as it gets in terms of ill-treatment and humiliation."

When they appeared before him on Friday (January 14), Judge Lawrie told them "in all likelihood" they would be going to prison but he had not decided for how long.

Paul, 29, Watkins and Gower, who are both 23, all pleaded guilty to ill-treating an individual while in the position of care worker due to be sentenced today (Wednesday).

The charge arose from "sadistic" incidents that took place when the three took "Michael" for a holiday in Bideford, North Devon in 2018.

Prosecutor Giles Nelson explained, Michael is profoundly deaf and suffers from epilepsy, anxiety and has moderate learning difficulties.

He requires 24-hour care and is prescribed various medications to combat the increased effect of tension and stress.

Michael was being cared for at Brook Lodge, a centre which provides support for people living with challenging behaviour and learning difficulties.

Mr Nelson said: “Each year a service user, as residents of the care home are described, is taken on holiday for a change of scenery. Michael was taken to a countryside barn conversion near Bideford by Gower, Paul and Watkins in September 2018.

“But when they returned back to the lodge six days later Amy McGregor, a night support worker, noticed a distinct change in Michael’s personality. She described him as being upset and very angry.”

Michael told his carers at the home what had happened in a short handwritten note.

“She raised her concerns with Gower and he stated that three care workers had got drunk and had been mean to Michael.

“Gower confessed to Ms McGregor that they had barricaded Michael in his room and made him wear a bucket on his head. He then sent Ms McGregor a video of Michael in an uncompromising position on the beach.

“Watkins also admitted his involvement to Ms McGregor and showed her a photograph of Martin wearing the bucket on his head and having clothes pegs attached to his top.

Both men, who were dismissed in November 2018, admitted to the care home’s management that they had been drinking and had put the clothes pegs on Michael’s back as a joke.

Paul declined to attend any meetings with the management and resigned the same month. In a police interview she said “they were only having a laugh and blamed the other two for being behind the pranks. She stated that she had to intervene when she felt things were getting out of hand.

Paul also blamed Michael’s behaviour during the trip and admitted taking a picture of Michael suffering from incontinence.

Watkins admitted in his police interview that he had placed 10 pegs on Michael’s clothing. He also conceded that he made Michael wear a bucket on his head for a bit of fun. He stated that things had got out of proportion when they rearranged his furniture in his room, but had denied barricading him in.

The video with the limpets incident also showed Michael being humiliated when he was incontinent

Judge Lawrie said: “The impact on Michael obviously had a psychological impact on him. Seeing him scream when limpets were placed on his back was very distressing.”

Mr Nelson concluded: “This is a course of conduct of multiple incidents of gratuitous derogation and sadistic behaviour in which they deliberately showed disregard for the welfare of the victim. They had a profession responsibility to protect him. On any decent, humane level their actions were appalling.”

Rejecting an argument by Lloyd Jenkins, for Gower, that the case should have been heard by magistrates Judge Lawrie said: “For me this behaviour crosses the custody threshold and the justices would not have the appropriate sentencing powers. It is an abuse of somebody in the defendants’ care.

“The public interest is towards a person, who is highly vulnerable, and is in the care of others. This was psychologically and harmful to Michael. I suspect what we have been told about is only the tip of the iceberg.”

The maximum sentence that can be imposed in the magistrates’ court is six months’ jail.

Mr Jenkins added: “Gower admits he was mean to Michael. He states that the incident was over three years ago and during this time he has matured.

“There is no question that the behaviour of all three defendants was insensitive and inappropriate. There has been no attempt to minimise the gravity of the situation. It was a short-lived episode during a holiday.

“Gower has not reoffended since this incident. He has struggled to get his life back on track, having lost his job. He suffers from anxiety and has lost his self esteem.”

Sarah Jenkins, for Watkins, said: “There is no issue in stating that the videos were humiliating and degrading. Michael wasn’t assaulted during the holiday, but it is accepted he suffered emotionally.

“On reflection, this short stay in Devon quickly became a toxic environment. They have since come to realise their behaviour was not acceptable.

“Watkins was only 19 at the time and had only been in the role for less than six months. This was on the job training. He wasn’t effectively equipped for this role. This episode has effectively ruined his career as a carer.

“He was also showing a lack of maturity and suffering from a lack of experience in the work place.

“Watkins is now working in a different career and has proved he can work in a different field without any issues.”

Charley Pattison for Paul said: “She elected Crown Court trial at the lower court. Paul was cleared of any wrong doing following an internal investigation into the incident at the care home.

“Paul was the oldest of the three and she had only been in the job a few months more than Watkins and Gower. She herself was still gaining experience with on the job training.

“Her view was that this long weekend away had gone badly and that her own mental health was no longer in a position of being able to care for others.

“Paul fully accepts this was deplorable behaviour, something that she deeply regrets and in the cold light of day, she made poor judgements in a professional situation and she should have known better.

“Paul has shown remorse and has written to Michael expressing her regrets.”

Gower, Watkins and Paul pleaded guilty by being in the position of a care worker, ill treated an individual between September 27 and October 2, 2018 in Bideford in North Devon.

Judge Lawrie said: “This is about as bad as it gets in terms of ill treatment and humiliation.

“The three of them were given a specific function in giving Michael a holiday. Whatever the absence in training is, it is conspicuous by its absence on more than one occasion.”

“However I am not sentencing at this late stage as I don’t want to rush my sentencing decisions. I suggest that all three defendants should put their affairs in order over the weekend as a custodial sentence is the most likely outcome.”